What makes you choose the books you read?
Genre? Reviews? Certain authors? Covers? Recommendations? – BTT

All of the above and more. While I no longer browse book stores and libraries as much as I use to, I do find myself looking at books others read on GoodReads or on the library catalogue website.

I do find Reviews or Recommendations the strongest. Word of Mouth is easiest, and I will often read books by authors I have read before. I am quite loyal that way.

In the past, I have selected books for their covers, but I am less likely to do that now as I have so many other books to choose from.

How about you?

I want you to think about your ideal reading experience. Think about the location. (Your bed? Favorite chair? The beach? Indoors or outdoors?). Think about the sounds. (Is there music playing? Happy children playing in the background? Utter silence?) Is there a snack or beverage nearby? Are you alone or with friends/family (presumably being quiet enough for you to read in peace)? What kind of lighting is there? Are you dressed in something ultra-comfy? What’s your position? Curled up? Stretched out?
Now … describe it so that we can all feel exactly how perfect it is … and why. – BTT

To start, it would be a big chair and there should be natural light if possible. Everything else depends on the season. I like reading indoors by a window, but outdoors is nice. I want tea near by if it’s colder, but water works otherwise. No food as I find that an activity on its own. No music and mostly silent. I do not mind friends and family there, but they must be generally quiet. If it’s winter, I have a wool lap blanket and am wearing comfy leggings or trousers and a sweater. If it’s summer, I am wearing a skirt or a dress. I am usually curled up, but occasionally stretched out. I like to put my feet up sometimes. I move around as I read.

I was on Houzz.com and saw this photo yesterday:

Not perfect, but almost. I like the idea of a library/reading corner in a living room. A fireplace is always necessary with a nice rug at the feet. I love that chair. I realize I really want big, comfy chairs with arms. I like the feeling of being engulfed by my seating arrangement.

Here’s another nice chair:

Right now, I read in my study corner with a big desk and a leather chair. Leather chairs are nice, but depend on the room and the season too of course. I don’t need the desk near by though. I do like taking notes on the laptop from things I read though.

How about you?

Have your reading habits changed since you were a child? (I mean, I’m assuming you have less time to read now, but …) Did you devour and absorb books when you were 10 and only just lightly read them now? Did you re-read frequently as a child but now only read new books? How about types of books? Do you find yourself still attracted to the kinds of books you read when you were a kid? – BTT

As with last week, I rarely reread books as a kid or had the desire to do so. It was always about the next book, but today, I keep a running tally of books I’d like to reread in the future. I’m still not a big rereader though.

While I may have less time to read now, reading was my only real hobby as a child other than TV and socializing which aren’t really hobbies to begin with. Nowadays, I have a lot more things that occupy my time, but I read faster than I was as a kid obviously. I read faster than I did five years ago I think, but my speed has more or less plateaued now.

I think the intensity is the same, but I love books more than I did then. I am still drawn to children’s books because there were many that I missed out on such as Little Women and Anne of Green Gables. As a child, I really liked children and YA fantasy and mythology. While I am less into mythology, I still read a lot of YA fantasy. I actually am not as interested in adult fantasy as much which I’m not quite sure of the reason. I’m only now slowly getting into it with Game of Thrones.

What book(s) do you find yourself going back to? Beloved children’s classics? Favorites from college? Something that touched you and just makes you long to visit?
(Because, doesn’t everybody have at least one book they would like to curl up with, even if they don’t make a habit of rereading books? Even if they maybe don’t even have the time to visit and just think back longingly?) – BTT

Definitely those books that I read as a child and even as a teenager really stayed with me. I’ve read both the Harry Potter and His Dark Materials series about 2-3 times. There are a few books from my adolescence that I’d like to reread one day such as some of Shakespeare’s plays, Anna Karenina, and other memorable books from that time in my life. I don’t think I’m ready to go back to them yet. I’ve already reread Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion as well.

The older I get, the more I feel like I want to reread more books. In general, I am not someone who makes a habit of rereading books. This is good because I only ever buy new books when they are cookbooks or they are books I know I will reread.

1. Do you read books about sports?
2. How about AT sporting events? (Kid’s soccer practice?) – BTT

In general, I have not really read many books about sports. Even though I am more physically active and have tried to be an active person most of my life, I actually do not really like participating in competitive team sports. I have watched a lot of sports on TV, but less so in the past few years. Similarly, I rarely go to sporting events, but I enjoy myself when I do and I don’t read at them.

Having said that, one book about sports that I really like is Nick Hornby’s Fever Pitch which his ode to football (soccer) and his team Arsenal. Aside from his literary essays, I think that is my favourite book of his because he captured the feelings of loving sport and supporting one’s team so well even though I have never really supported just one team. I read the book at the height of my Premiership viewing. I use to watch football matches every Saturday morning with my Dad, and it’s his sport of preference so the topic is close to my heart in a way.

I’ve also heard good things about the Friday Night Lights book (love the TV series), but I have not found the time to read it.

Any other recommendations for sports books?

Movies have a rating system to help guide the consumer weed out adult/violent/inappropriate kinds of films. Video games do, too. Do you think BOOKS should have a ratings system? – BTT

No. I was just talking with a couple of friends about this and how we started reading adult books at around age 12. I remember one of my first was Judy Blume’s adult books, and just the strange transition of reading “adult” situations after having only read young adult books. I did not find it illicit or daring, but I did like the newness of it and the freedom of choosing the book. No one stopped me from going to the adult section of the library.

I feel there is something very universal about books. I still read young adult fiction and children’s lit. I enjoy them a lot as well. The industry already categorizes age groups for books. I’m not against ratings for movies or video games either, but the graphic and visual nature can be more disturbing. Still, I think ratings are very subjective. In American cinema, I find it baffling how simple nudity even without sexuality can be rated R and a lot of violence is fine at PG-13. I think part of what I like about books is exploring them, and I think ratings could limit that experience for book lovers.

Does your current mood affect your reading? Affect your choices? I know there are plenty of books I enjoy, but only if I’m in a particular kind of mood–or books that can lift me out of a bad mood without fail. Surely I’m not alone? – BTT

Sure, my mood can affect my reading choices. I’m quite an emotional person at times. I think most people are this way as we don’t always want to read textbooks or big long chunky books (and I love my 1000 page novels). My reading choices are less affected by my mood than my film choices though. In general, I’m less persnickety about what to read next if it’s already in library or TBR pile. It’s just a matter of due dates, authors, reading challenges, etc more than anything.

How about you?

Clocks change this weekend here in the US, which means one less hour to read … does anybody else begrudge that hour like I do? Wish the Powers That Be would just pick a time-frame and stick to it instead of inflicting clock-driven jet lag on an innocent public twice a year?
(Yeah, so not a question so much about reading … except, of course, you do need to use your electric light to be able to read, so the hour it gets dark IS relevant!) – BTT

Time, how I want more of thee! Of course, we technically get the hour back in the autumn. I have too many hobbies these days, and I’m sad that I must manage my time between them, work, and being generally social. I do look forward to summer and it’s longer days. June 21st is one of my favourite days of the year.

I do read a lot in the evenings which is not great, but my new Otto Lamp helps. Still, there is a reason why I read much more in the summer. Not only out of habit, but all that daylight!

I’ll try to get to bed earlier on Saturday so I can save as much as that missing as I can.