My Rules for Reading: Serious Reading Habits
Hey hi hello friends, and welcome back to my blog! Today I thought I would try and delve back into my earlier posts from when I first started this blog up and try to do something other than a book review or a reading update. So, I thought I'd share with you guys a few of my standard reading habits!
Now, we all have our little quirks and ticks when it comes to our hobbies. Like, some people throw salt over their shoulder while cooking as a superstition, and some people only like to use a certain glue when scrap-booking (speaking from experience in both). Readers are no different. Some common reading habits I've seen are always drinking a cup of coffee/tea, reading in the bath, having a candle burning, etc. etc.
1. Get comfortable. I see reading not only as a pleasurable activity, but also somewhat of a job. I know that I don't make any money or have any influence really when it comes to BookTube or this blog, but treating them as professional endeavors helps me stay organized and on top of things when I can feel myself slipping and just wanting to reread Percy Jackson for the thirtieth time. So in the times when I need to finish a book or need to write a review before my (self-imposed) deadline, I find that I can negate the stress by "dressing down" so to speak. If wearing a comfortable pair of sweats and putting my hair in a bun is what it takes to get shit done, then I will gladly do it. Just as long as I'm not in public. I'm not quite there yet.
2. Have options. I'm definitely one of those readers that has to be in the middle of multiple books at once. I want to be able to put down one book if I'm not feeling it and immediately pick up another that might better suit my mood. As a mood reader, that is one of the most important things on this list. They don't necessarily have to be different genres, but even having different authors available can help change the pace of my reading. Currently, I've got The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson, A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab, and Fullmetal Alchemist vol. 4-6 by Hiromu Arakawa on my nightstand. Not to mention the books I have on my TBR shelf, and the books I have borrowed from the library. I know for some people having this many books to read at once can stress them out, but I personally find I can get a lot more done with these options. I'm not worried about finishing a book before I can start another, and if I get frustrated with one I don't have the need to tough it out, which could potentially change my rating of it based on a less than pleasurable experience.
3. Know when to quit. This ties in to what I was saying in my previous point. So many people end up giving books harsh ratings because they aren't enjoying them, but refuse to DNF them. Not me. I try to give the books I read what I like to call the "100 page rule." If, by 100 pages, the book isn't doing it for me, I DNF it. Of course, this is all relative, depending on the size of the book itself. Typically for books that are less than 100 pages (which I hardly ever read anymore, because if you haven't noticed, books are getting longer and longer), then I give it about 25%. Technically that's what I try and do for every book, but let's be real here, the "100 page rule" sounds so much better than the "25% rule" or the "one-quarter rule." So I'm an aesthetic hoe, sue me. But in all seriousness, DNFing books is a very liberating choice. Not only does it allow me to consume more content, but I'm also able to really hone in on what my reading tastes are. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule, but I'm planning on diving into DNFing books at a later date, so stay tuned for that.
Okay, that's all I have for you guys today! I hope you liked this change of pace, of course I will still be posting my book reviews, reading updates, and BookTube videos on here as well, but I kind of miss doing these kinds of posts, so I'll be getting back into this kind of groove! If you have any topics you want me to talk about either on here or on my channel, either leave a comment or email me at allyemreads@gmail.com. I'm always open to suggestions!
Until next time!
Now, we all have our little quirks and ticks when it comes to our hobbies. Like, some people throw salt over their shoulder while cooking as a superstition, and some people only like to use a certain glue when scrap-booking (speaking from experience in both). Readers are no different. Some common reading habits I've seen are always drinking a cup of coffee/tea, reading in the bath, having a candle burning, etc. etc.
1. Get comfortable. I see reading not only as a pleasurable activity, but also somewhat of a job. I know that I don't make any money or have any influence really when it comes to BookTube or this blog, but treating them as professional endeavors helps me stay organized and on top of things when I can feel myself slipping and just wanting to reread Percy Jackson for the thirtieth time. So in the times when I need to finish a book or need to write a review before my (self-imposed) deadline, I find that I can negate the stress by "dressing down" so to speak. If wearing a comfortable pair of sweats and putting my hair in a bun is what it takes to get shit done, then I will gladly do it. Just as long as I'm not in public. I'm not quite there yet.
2. Have options. I'm definitely one of those readers that has to be in the middle of multiple books at once. I want to be able to put down one book if I'm not feeling it and immediately pick up another that might better suit my mood. As a mood reader, that is one of the most important things on this list. They don't necessarily have to be different genres, but even having different authors available can help change the pace of my reading. Currently, I've got The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson, A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab, and Fullmetal Alchemist vol. 4-6 by Hiromu Arakawa on my nightstand. Not to mention the books I have on my TBR shelf, and the books I have borrowed from the library. I know for some people having this many books to read at once can stress them out, but I personally find I can get a lot more done with these options. I'm not worried about finishing a book before I can start another, and if I get frustrated with one I don't have the need to tough it out, which could potentially change my rating of it based on a less than pleasurable experience.
3. Know when to quit. This ties in to what I was saying in my previous point. So many people end up giving books harsh ratings because they aren't enjoying them, but refuse to DNF them. Not me. I try to give the books I read what I like to call the "100 page rule." If, by 100 pages, the book isn't doing it for me, I DNF it. Of course, this is all relative, depending on the size of the book itself. Typically for books that are less than 100 pages (which I hardly ever read anymore, because if you haven't noticed, books are getting longer and longer), then I give it about 25%. Technically that's what I try and do for every book, but let's be real here, the "100 page rule" sounds so much better than the "25% rule" or the "one-quarter rule." So I'm an aesthetic hoe, sue me. But in all seriousness, DNFing books is a very liberating choice. Not only does it allow me to consume more content, but I'm also able to really hone in on what my reading tastes are. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule, but I'm planning on diving into DNFing books at a later date, so stay tuned for that.
Okay, that's all I have for you guys today! I hope you liked this change of pace, of course I will still be posting my book reviews, reading updates, and BookTube videos on here as well, but I kind of miss doing these kinds of posts, so I'll be getting back into this kind of groove! If you have any topics you want me to talk about either on here or on my channel, either leave a comment or email me at allyemreads@gmail.com. I'm always open to suggestions!
Until next time!
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