darkemeralds. (Reply)

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My reading goes in phases.

Throughout most of my teens, 20s and 30s I read voraciously - with anything up to 10 books on the go at any one time. I couldn't wrap my head around the idea of people who didn't read. My ex - when I met him - was 9 years older than me, used to read like me but admitted he'd not touched a non-study related book in something like 6 years. I broke him out of that with Heinlein's Time Enough For Love. *G* Cut to my 40s and I'll go months without reading (books - witness the pile of 64-ish to read on my bedside cabinet - or fic) and then I'll binge. So answering your questions.

(a) Yes I read books intermittently. I read a bunch when we were travelling in the US last year, spent all day driving and then in the evenings was spending an hour or more reading. I read paper books, I don't have an e-reader. I like holding a physical book, it's easier to read in bed and OMG less eye strain considering how many hours I already spend looking at a screen.

(b) Relationship to reading? Entertainment, refuge, love of language, ideas, storytelling and worldbuilding. I shoudl say I stil tend to read pretty exclusively in the sci fi fantasy arena with the odd notable exception. I read a lot of rec's from

ravurian and other friends. I also frequently re-read old favourites. When the world gets too much to deal with from time to time I crawl away into another world. Also I'm a completist, I think there's only one book I started and never finished. I will be there to the bitter end even if it is crap.

(c) Books to be read, pile of 64 in my bedroom. Uh...I may have added a few to it recently too. Though one of those I read in 2 days *G* I don't set myself targets - takes all the fun out of it. Things to be read will be read - eventually.

(d) I used to read every night for at least an hour when I went to bed and very occasionally at work at lunch time. Recently not so much with the reading in bed as I've been spending more time online. During the day I tend to find there are other things I should be doing rather than reading (gardening, dejunking, sorting out my long term finances). I still read voraciously on holiday. Last year in the US I ploughed through 6 or 7 books while we were travelling including the first two of the Game Of Thrones. I'm planning on doing some serious amounts of reading in Wales in April when I go to the cottage.

(e) Writing. I tend to find I can either read or write but I can't do both at once any more. When I'm fired up with wanting to write I can't read (either books or fanfic). I'm hoping it's just a phase and that it will pass but it's been a few years now.

(f) No. It's not so much attention span as the need/desire to do other things. I figure once I have completed my dejunk and got the garden sorted for this year I may have more time to both read and write.