When you are asked what you like to do when you’re not working, at school or wherever, how do you answer? I’m sure as a book blogger we should be big hand wavers when it comes to admitting that we love to read. However, when I do, I find it fascinating to see how people respond. Is it abnormal to like to read as much as I do? Gageing from some of the wide eyed looks I get sometimes I feel like that must be true.
When I look back on my life and it’s big events I do remember how I had to find time to read. When I met my husband we immediately clicked and spent every moment together. I remember having to explain to him that I had to read the last half hour of my day in bed before going to sleep. I HAD TO. Well, we are married now, and he gets it! For awhile, he would read beside me quietly- until notebooks came out and he spent the end of his day surfing Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc. I, however, still read and he loves me anyway!
When you start a new job and go out for a glass of wine, lunch or whatever with your new co-workers, do you confess to the amount of time you actually spend reading? The conversation goes something like, “So, Deborah, what do you do when you aren’t at work?” I say, “well, my husband and I like to try out new restaurants, I love taking my dog Nash for walks, and umm, I read 4 hours every night.” Confession time. I probably do read about 3-4 hours every night. I know! But don’t you do that too? I certainly DON’T admit that to my friends though. Is that bad? Somehow, I feel like if I admit to reading that much they’ll look down on me like I don’t have a life or something. Why is reading considered a bad thing?
OK, that picture above is pretty funny (and kind of gross) but as Book Bloggers we SHOULD be screaming to the world that we LOVE to read! We need to encourage others to read, that enjoying books is a wonderful thing. Sharing a great book and talking about it with your friend or family member is one of the best feelings ever. I would like to convey my love for a good book to a child and encourage them to read every night for a half hour before sleeping like my own mother did for me. It helps me shrug off a bad day, encourage fantastic dreams, and helps me sleep. That’s not a bad thing.
So Book Bloggers, share your love of books outside your blog. Take off your mask and reveal your true identity and shout it out to the world!
I, Deborah- The Reading Chick love to read! How about you? Join me!
Until next Sunday,
Deb
The Reading Chick 
Hi Deborah,
As as author, I consider reading part of my job description. And I really do enjoy it. There’s just one problem: I have a hard time sitting still for long periods of time. My kinetic nature makes reading a challenge. So, I read in spurts – 45 minutes here and 45 minutes there. Some people have suggested that I listen to books, so I can read during my morning walk or at the gym. But I don’t yet have an e-book reader because I love the sound and reflective nature of silence. And at the gym, I enjoy talking with people.Because I am alone a good portion of the day, conversation and engagement with the outside world is a sanity saver. What’s your secret to sitting and reading for 3-4 hours a day? And what’s your advice on getting hummingbirds like me to slow down and read?
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Good question! Well, I don’t sit and read 3-4 hours all at one time. I take a book or my kindle with me and read on my lunch hour, I listen to a book in my car (I’m in outside sales so that can be an hour more or less) and I read for about an hour and a half at the end of my day. At least that actually, it depends on how chatty I or my husband are that evening. Because I talk for a living I tend to wind down any time I’m not working! I am not a hummingbird by nature and like my down time a lot so except for cutting put TV watching, or start g off your morning with a chapter or two, I don’t really have any suggestions. I do walk my dog and listen to a book when my husband isn’t with me but thats pretty rare. The gym idea is a great one, but if thats your only contact during the day I can understand why you’d want human contact! For me its habit and need for quiet time, it sounds like you don’t have the same needs so I wouldn’t worry about it! Lol.
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