Building a SciFi/Fantasy Library discussion

I'm always fascinated by others' reading habits. How much do you read a day/week (an hour a day??) or do you try to read a book a week, etc or does it just vary? What about television/internet distractions--are you able to avoid those or do you find that those have taken a toll on your reading time? I've found that to be so true and have not really found a solution. I know after several hours of reading I really enjoyed the experience but often that comes about from being stuck at an airport, swim meet, etc. without the distractions of at least tv.

I will read anywhere from 1/2 to 3 books in a week. It all depends on whether I have any "favorite" shows on the tube or DVR and the amount of time I have available. Anything from 0 - 40 minutes, I will probably read. If I have free time more than that, I'll probably catch a show. Depending on how the book is reading (fast or at a slog), I may even pick it up to read during sports TV and ads for non-DVR shows. When I go shopping alone, I'll haul it along to read at the restaurant (since I usually get to town about dinner time).

On average, it takes me about two weeks to read a book. There are just too many other things to do and so little time to do them.

However, when travelling, I usually relax in my hotel room after dinner with a drink and whatever book I happen to reading at the time. If the road trip lasts more than four days, the book is finished by the time I return home.

I tend to be reading several books at once; one to take to work, one on my Kindle for PC, as well as another, for alternating; one in the bathroom (each), one at my bedside. I also listen to audiobooks in the car. It's amazing that I finish any of them. Always have one in my hand, for standing in line, waiting rooms, etc, but especially when I accompany my spouse on her gardening/clothing/etc. shopping trips, she actually encourages me to do so and indeed has David Sedaris's most recent book of short stories in her car in case I forget my own book.

It takes me about a month to read a paper based book. 1/2 that to read an ebook of the same length mainly due to the ready access on my phone. The bulk of my reading is now done at they gym when working the treadmill or stationary cycle, or in the gaps of my busy schedule.

I don't own a television. Although I trudge to the neighbors on Sunday evening to watch Masterpiece theater. So therefore evenings are spent with a paper based book.I try and read 2-3 hours at a stretch.

During most news programs, I am also reading with attention split between the two. The same applies to a lot of sports programming. Regular series that I watch pretty much shuts the book (most of the time). Nothing on that I like or whatever, I'm buried in a book.

I read whenever I have time. Sometimes I read a lot, other times I go a week without flipping a page. For me reading is what I do in my down time. It's what I'm doing while everyone else is watching their favorite TV show or just flipping through infomercials. As for how quickly I finish a book, that all depends on what I'm reading. If it's a really good book I'll get through it in a few days.

I usually read in the late afternoon, before supper, or at night. Sundays is almost all reading, especially if I'm hooked on a book. Usually read one book at a time, and if a book runs a little slow, I'll drop it for another.

I read like there's no tomorrow to finish the book on. lol, sometimes if I have a lot of time on a day I will go through a book, maybe start another. My bead work suffers from my reading addiction and I have to force my self to put away books. Sometimes, ok often, I find it is 3 am and I'm blurry eyed but still don't want to drop that book. Usually I read about 4 books a week. I don't use my TV at all, so my reading is important for mental space.
I sometimes have a sci-fi, a fantasy and a graphic novel going, but usually I just bust straight through a book especially if it's good.

Usually I will have the television on in the background since my spouse enjoys watching it and I do too. But I find I really will enjoy the reading experience more if I can turn off the television. The experience is more relaxing for me when I do not have the background noise. In the past, I have listening to music while reading, but usually it's instrumental music. It's a challenge for me to listen to music with lyrics and I'm trying to read. Does anyone else have this issue? I find that I tend to fall asleep if I read in bed. If I have cleaning, knitting, laundry or something mindless to do, I will listen to an audiobook.

I find it difficult to read with anything but classical on. lyrics disrupt my ability to follow what I am reading. funny that we can't tune out audio that well when concentrating on visual cues.
I can't stay awake listening to audio books unless I'm doing something.

I read early morning and then again late at night...and any time in between when I have time. I like to listen to Brahms while I'm reading...or just talk radio. The droning voices are good.

That's how I read. I always have three or four books going at one time.

The more I read, the more I want to read. I'm on a tear now and read about three hours per day. It is like anything else...the more you do it, the more you want to do it. I usually have three or four books going at once.

I really love to read and wish I had more time to read. Coming out of college, I almost hated reading, which was really weird because I read alot as a young guy. I think it might have been the fact that I was forced to read a bunch of stuff I really didnt want to read. Anyways, I started writing and as I struggled with my writing, i read suggestion after suggestion that the best way a writer can improve their writing is by reading, especially within the genre they write. So I started reading for the enjoyment of reading again. I would have to say that in a good month I might read one fiction book and one nonfiction book. I also do a lot of listening to audio books while I am in the car.

Sometimes, unfortunately, I either have time to read or write, so normally if thats the case, I write, since I am hoping one day writing will pay the bills.

On that note, if anyone is looking for a good fantasy novel with alot of action and adventure to read this summer, you might look into my new novel A Chance Beginning. Its available through both paperback and kindle, $13.95 and $2.99 respectively. http://www.amazon.com/Chance-Beginnin...

A Chance Beginning
Christopher Patterson

I read pretty much all the time, since I'm an historian, its pretty much the bulk of my day when I'm not writing history stuff or fiction. Even though I read for a living, I still spend a few hours a day reading for myself, whatever I find interesting (usually some form of fiction), and I usually have three, four or five books on the go that I rotate through depending on my moods. Some days I might want some sci-fi, some post-apocalypse or dystopian, sometimes its poetry or a literary classic, others I might want to read some non-fiction. I guess I'm like a channel surfer with books.

I used to worry that "reading for a living" would ruin the joy of it, but I still love reading. I actually find that I appreciate my own reading time more. My eyesight is sure to go to hell from all the time I spend with my face in a book.

Christopher wrote: " read pretty much all the time..."

I know what you mean. I'm an archaeologist, lots of research.

During slower times, such as now, I try to read 3-4 SF books a week. It doesn't always happen, but I try.

For me it takes one day to a couple of months to read a book. Usually it´s about two weeks. But I might have several books I read at a time so that´s why one takes longer. On one day I can read for a few hours whereas a week can go past without me reading no more than 30 minutes or so.

I tend to have two to three books on the go at atanyone time.
Usually one or two on my kindle and I actual book.
Currently that book id Like a Mighty Army by David weber, the seventh book in the Safehold series.
Humankind was on the run and in danger of being wiped out. As a last result a number of colony fleets were despatched.
To prevent the enemy tracking them they were prohibited from using any technology to establish their new colonies.
A schism took place and the Church of God wiped out its rivals and created its own religion and writ.
A thousand years later the leaders of the church are corrupt and seek to reek death on any one who transgresses. A AI survivor of the original colonist awakens and decides to intervene. After years of observation a choice is made and she choses Charis to help. By the introduction of small changes she gives Charis the ability to survive the Church of Gods decision to eliminate the heretics.
This is a great series and I would recommend it to anyone.
Anyone else read any of the books?

Thomas wrote: "...reading sci-fi has been known to give young people ideas, like thinking that thinking is a good thing."

Wonderful way of putting it, Thomas. I'm truly grateful not to have had parents like that.

As to how the reader/author/editor in you responds to lousy writing, bad punctuation and incomprehensible sentences, I'm right in there with you. I live constantly with the trio sitting on my shoulder and depending on what function I'm performing, having to shut two of them out is often a struggle. Hmm... thanks. I think I feel a blog coming on.

I read a lot but time to read can vary a lot depending -- Children's and YA are the fastest, History can be the slowest especially when it's a good thick book.