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Ask HN: When Do You Read?

4 points by xcambar ↗ HN
I would like to read more. Between my full time job, hobbies, family time with 2 kids and whatever you have to sneak in (administrative duties and whatnot), I can only find time and/or energy to read during the holidays, when days are less packed.

Good thing is, during these lesser times, I can read a lot. But I still would like to be a more consistent reader.

HN crowd, what are your reading habits/patterns?

12 comments

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usrbinbash
I try to set myself a fixed number of pages I manage to crunch per day. 20 is a good place to start.

And then I read them whenever I can, including train, toilet, waiting, etc.

PaulHoule
On the bus. While doing cardio at the gym.
Flankk
I stopped reading, unfortunately. The word business used to be called busyness for a reason. You could probably read a bit before bed. It might have to be Dr. Seuss though. Audiobooks are another option.
jimmyvalmer
Toilet -- I'm at an age where I have to sit to go number one.

For number two, you will have to wet the toilet paper after 20 pages.

khaled_ismaeel
Right before I go to sleep. I think it's a really nice entry point for developing the habit of reading.

I would also suggest reading on public transport but I don't have experience with that.

PaulHoule
I can read 200+ books a year if they are relatively thin (say sci-fi books like The Gates of Creation or a thin non-fiction book like Eva Illouz's Cold Intimacies)

I had a point maybe 10 years ago when it seemed the influx of information from reading at my maximum rate was making me anxious and disturbing my sleep and I deliberately got into playing video games like Advance Wars and Fire Emblem that recombine a small number of elements endlessly.

I've been losing my interest in video games and for me reading has been transitional to my next act. I find now I can read a lot if I avoid reading things that affect my emotional equilibrium. Today I have to really watch out for anything that makes me feel envious of other people.

mikewarot
Books go in the bathroom, there is peace and quiet and a lack of distractions in a place where I'd like to have one, which the book provides.
f0e4c2f7
I read ebooks and listen to audiobooks. My kindle syncs with the kindle app on my phone for ebooks. So anytime I'm waiting in line for something, like at a grocery store I take out my phone and start reading my current ebook (or more often hacker news). Sometimes I'll take my kindle with me on a walk and stop in the middle to read for a few hours if it's a weekend or something. If it's during the week I don't normally read from the kindle directly more than an hour a day. If there is a tv show I'm watching sometimes I'll do that instead of reading.

For audiobooks I listen at faster speed so it's like reading more content than the time actually consumed. If I don't feel like listening to a podcast I'll listen in the car. I'll also listen while I'm doing dishes or that sort of thing around the house. Occasionally I'll listen to an audiobook while playing videogames.

peruvian
You can't manifest more time. You have to drop something to make time for reading.

I'm nowhere near your situation — single 20 something with no responsibilities beyond a job. But even I had to give up TV show watching or YouTube to make time for reading. Maybe replace one night of a hobby with reading, or get up 30 mins earlier.

fryingskull
interesting how nobody has any problem making time for their hobbies! why reading isn't part of your hobbies? its not suppose to be a chore.

don't try to sneak in 5 min here and 20 min there to finish some book as if world's fate depends on you reading books. cut family times in half if possible or maybe cut your hobbies time to make room for your new hobby.

and don't multitask reading either, it can work on simple books but information dense books requires full attention (same for everything else in life), unless you just wanna read for the sake of feeling smart.

xcambar
It's true that for me, reading is on another category than hobbies, but your comment triggers an interesting question: why?

I never thought about that before...

Just a hypothesis: maybe because I see reading as a means towards an escape, an experience or a learning, while hobbies provide them primarily. I'll have to dig.

About "cut family times in half": this sounds completely alien to me. Why would I want anything like that?

fryingskull
that hypothesis sounds about right, or at least for things that aren't my hobbies.

if your description of family times is to share interesting, meaningful, fun moments together then obviously you should even add to it. i know lots of peoples idea of it, is to just be in the same room!