Thursday, March 25, 2010

Booking Through Thursday: Breaks

This week's BTT question is about reading patterns:
Do you take breaks while reading a book? Or read it straight through? (And, by breaks, I don't mean sleeping, eating and going to work; I mean putting it aside for a time while you read something else.)
Well, I've usually got several books going at once, so obviously I'm always putting one or another aside while I read one of the others. Briefly, anyway. Now and then, of course, I'll happen on a book that's so compelling or entertaining that I read it straight through, without dipping into something else along the way. I had that experience recently with Nicholson Baker's The Anthologist – I was so caught up in it from the opening paragraph that I just forgot about all my other books until I got it read.

Now occasionally I'll put aside everything else if there are time constraints involved – for instance, if the book is an advance reading copy and I've promised a fast review. But in general I'm definitely a break taker. However, I don't like to put a book aside for too long, because I find that frequently means I won't get back to it and it never gets finished. There are so many new and attractive books always catching my eye – makes it really hard to return to any of those half-finished books I've abandoned along the way. Oooh, that sounds sad, doesn't it – poor, abandoned books (sniff!).

So what about you? Are you a break-taker? Or do you go with one book at a time? Interesting question. Probably says something very revealing about our different personalities, right?

13 comments:

  1. I pretty much stick with it until it is done. I can just imagine all your sad abandoned books saying, "what did we do wrong"? *Sniff*

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  2. One book at a time, and a straight sitting, that's me. Here's mine.

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  3. Normally not a break taker unless it is a book club read, non-fiction, or a tour book needs to be read.

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  4. I read more than two books at a time. That helps!

    BTT: Breaks

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  5. I tend to read a book straight through, but I do postpone certain books I want to read at that time if I have an ARC that I need to review. If I'm already in the middle of one and an ARC comes along, the one I'm reading gets priority. I tried putting one down once for another, then had to start the first one over, and well, you know what they say: "so little time"...

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  6. It all depends on how good the book is. Though I do read more than one at a time.

    http://fredasvoice.blogspot.com/2010/03/booking-through-break.html

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  7. In general, I read one at a time, not counting books I'm reading with my daughter or audiobooks. Usually if I actually set a book aside, I won't pick it up again.

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  8. I'm one book at a time and have always been this way. If I set a book aside I probably won't pick it up again for months.

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  9. I tend to read at least 2 books at a time (not simultaneously, of course), so it's easy enough to put one down and pick up the other and go back and forth --- this gives me a bit of a break if it's a book I'm having a hard time getting into. Sometimes, a break is good, though -- keeps it fresh!

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  10. I don't mean to take breaks but my eyes get so heavy and then the next thing I know I'm snoozing!! I only read one book at a time..if it's riveting I'll rip through it or if it's like my current book I'm dragging myself through day #4!!!!!!!!

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  11. I rarely set a book aside, but have done it from time to time. I can't keep track of more than 1 plot at a time.

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  12. Although I read multiple books at a time, I don't take many breaks. You can see my full answer here.

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  13. I rarely read more than one book at a time. I'm afraid if I put a book aside, I won't remember what it's about.

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