The simple answer is - No, I am not a speed reader. So many of my friends ask me how the heck I have time to read so much. This is what I always say - "When you have an addiction, you find a way!" Sounds nuts, right? But when I finally came to gripes with the fact that this reading habit was just that, it has been much less stressful. I mean, first and foremost, there are a million worst things I could be addicted to, and I (rarely) let my reading get in the way of my responsibilities (its doesn't count that i choose to read another chapter before I load the dishwasher, does it?)
So back to the question at hand - How do I find time to read? Well first off, I always have a book in my purse. That way if I get stuck waiting at the post office or the bank or the doctor's office, I can usually get a few pages in. I have also perfected the art of reading while distracted. When I first started reading for leisure I would get frustrated when one of the kids required attention and I would lose my place and then it took forever to find it again. Now my mind has adapted to this constantly reoccurring situation and I can easily find my place again.
I can also multitask while I read. Thanks to my wonderful eyesight (Thank You GOD!) I can read a book from pretty far away and have actually been able to read while folding laundry. Because folding laundry is so second nature after almost 5 years of at least 2 loads a day (holy moly that's over 3600 loads!) I actually learned this trick from a friend. She buys books in Large Print whenever she can, so that she can cook and fold laundry while she reads. She uses one of those cookbook stands to hold her book while she reads.
I also have a constant supply of "To be Read" books, for the most part. I am always swapping on Paperback Swap and I keep an eye on the bargain bins at the bookstores. I am very careful not to let my reading habit cost me too much but I can't always get them read from on the timeline of the library, so I try to only buy uber deals or use the swap system to make it work for me.
And, of course, I am guilty of the all-nighters. When a book is at the climax or very close to the end and I just have to know what happens. I have been known to put the whole family to bed - telling hubby that I am just going to finish the chapter - only to look up at a clock that reads 3 AM! So like I said - "When you have an addiction - you find a way!"
So what do you do to get reading time in?
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