Tips on Reading

[Lord Tyrion]

I've always been an avid reader, since the start of my 7th grade. I read a lot more than a lot of my friends.

But I think I grew up reading differently and I felt like I was speeding through books without getting the good experience from the book.

What do you guys do while reading? Do you take notes on the book? Do you look up words in the dictionary that you don't know?

I'm reading a few books right now that aren't that difficult, but I ordered Cloud Atlas and it looks like a difficult read that might take me awhile to read.

[russjass]

I am an extremely passive reader, I just read and let it wash over me. I also tend to blast through on the first read to find out what happens. I always miss things or dont put things together in advance. I dont think I miss out on the experience, because as a result of my passivity the reveals are always actually reveals and not just confirmations. And as for missing things I re-read excessively, so I pick them up eventually.

I have never taken notes during reading of fiction. I think that if the book requires notes to be taken to fully appreciate it, then it is not something I personally want to read. My motivation for reading is pure escapism and entertainment. Taking notes and meticulously analysing information is what I do on a day to day basis, and not a form of entertainment for me.

I think how you read depends on why you read and what you are reading

[wolverine]

I've always been an avid reader, since the start of my 7th grade. I read a lot more than a lot of my friends.

But I think I grew up reading differently and I felt like I was speeding through books without getting the good experience from the book.

What do you guys do while reading? Do you take notes on the book? Do you look up words in the dictionary that you don't know?

I'm reading a few books right now that aren't that difficult, but I ordered Cloud Atlas and it looks like a difficult read that might take me awhile to read.

I almost never do that, except for a few books. Like I read a historical fiction book by Dorothy Dunnett recently and needed to look up a lot of words, plus try to translate some passages. She can stump the dictionary with ease though.

[Lord Tyrion]

I use the writing notes on the non-fiction books. I read a lot about technology and religious stuff (atheism), and I find myself having to write stuff down because it lets me think more.

Sometimes it's hard for me to grasp a few fiction books because the writing is intense to me. I try and let it wash over me, but then I really feel like I'm missing the true essence of that particular page and/or chapter.

[Larry of the Lawn]

I always look up a word if I don't know it and can't be reasonably sure from context. It drives me crazy not knowing, plus I'm a word junkie so I like to learn new ones. I've never taken notes during a first read of fiction, but when I was in school I'd take notes on rereads for papers.

[Turinqui-Calima]

What do you guys do while reading? Do you take notes on the book? Do you look up words in the dictionary that you don't know?

Having a Kindle Fire has changed my reading habits a bit. I never used to take notes or look up words, but now it's so much easier. I just click on the word and the definition is right there, so I definitely do that and feel like it does help a bit. As for taking notes I only do it if it's a reread or a book I know I will be discussing (like aDwD), but before the kindle I wouldn't even do that.

As for enjoying books I'm a pretty slow reader but find that as soon as I start to rush a bit I stop enjoying the read. For me a lot of the enjoyment is taking my time to imagine how things look and feel and I don't feel like I can do that if I read to fast. I also imagine 'hearing' dialog and if I read it fast I 'hear' it like the characters are speaking fast.

[One of Three]

I started reading properly around the age of 16. I read the first two Harry Potter Books when I was like 12, but that was for school (choose a book and read it). The book I read for the pleasure of reading was The Da Vinci Code. The film had just come out and there was a lot of hype about it, so I bought the book to read while living in at college.

I'm quite a slow, but passive reader. I mainly read fiction and don't take any notes (if I'm interested in a subject, I tend to look it up online). I do look up words if I don't understand them, but there tend to be not a lot of words in fiction, that I've read, that I don't understand.

In terms of non-fiction, I mainly look up/read stuff on philosophy (particularly Post-Modernism), psychology, film and other subjects if I get the buzz off them. Still though I don't tend to write things done. I'm a person that works everything out in my head first. Mainly due to me having slight learning difficulty - Dyspraxia, which makes me struggle with getting words down onto the paper.

[kingofashes]

That's like me Calima. If there's a confussing description of something I will reread it a few times so I can get a better image in my head of it. But eventually I will give up on it if the author isn't clear enough.

Yeah thats definatly true with me aswel, if I read it fast then I 'hear' it fast so I usually slow down a bit if theres a couple of sentances, or more, of dialog.

[Zoë Sumra]

In general I read quite quickly. I want to feel immersed in what's happening, and I can't really do that if I focus on the words as collections of letters rather than as what they mean.

I almost never do that, except for a few books. Like I read a historical fiction book by Dorothy Dunnett recently and needed to look up a lot of words, plus try to translate some passages. She can stump the dictionary with ease though.

At the moment I'm reading My Lord John, Georgette Heyer's last-published book (she started it many years earlier as the first of a trilogy, but got distracted), which is set in the reigns of Richard II and Henry IV. I'm used to reading Heyer and seeing unfamiliar words but getting the hang of what they mean by the context... but I'm used to reading her Regency and late 18thC books. Late 14thC is different altogether.

I'll give you a sample:

"But what happened?" John asked.

"That's more than I know, lording. The King went to his pavilion, and they do say that he held a council there. No one saw him again, but a knight came out at last, and read a great proclamation. Well, it was all long words, and so many of them I heard but the half, but certes it was the King's sentence that both the lords should be banished the realm. The sely folk began to hurl, but the Cheshiremen had their shafts fitted in their bows, and all ended only in grutching."

[deleted01]

I have looked up words I'm unsure of on occasion, and if the book is based around a true story (I read a lot of historical fiction), I do tend to look some things up and see what's real and what's invented, but that's mainly down to my own curiosity. I never make notes though, even if I'm going to be discussing a book later. I had to do that far too much when I studied English Literature, and it just takes the joy out of reading for me.

The way I read - well I've never really thought about it. In general I tend to read quite quickly, but I get sucked into a story pretty easily. If I can't imagine it, if I can't settle in and be a character in the story along for the ride, or if I have to go back and reread things over and over, I simply can't read the book. I'm fairly good at spotting things and working things out before they're revealed (ASOIAF not included ;) ), and I don't feel like this takes anything away from my reading experience, but the opposite might well be true as well. The "best" way to read is probably just the way you're comfortable with.

I'm reading a few books right now that aren't that difficult, but I ordered Cloud Atlas and it looks like a difficult read that might take me awhile to read.

I also have Cloud Atlas on my to-read pile, think I'll read it next. The film was complicated enough, so I imagine the book will be quite difficult. :laugh:

[Swift]

Having a Kindle Fire has changed my reading habits a bit. I never used to take notes or look up words, but now it's so much easier. I just click on the word and the definition is right there, so I definitely do that and feel like it does help a bit. As for taking notes I only do it if it's a reread or a book I know I will be discussing (like aDwD), but before the kindle I wouldn't even do that.

As for enjoying books I'm a pretty slow reader but find that as soon as I start to rush a bit I stop enjoying the read. For me a lot of the enjoyment is taking my time to imagine how things look and feel and I don't feel like I can do that if I read to fast. I also imagine 'hearing' dialog and if I read it fast I 'hear' it like the characters are speaking fast.

Glad I'm not the only one that does that! For me it makes reading dialog much more enjoyable.

[sologdin]

i always annotate. it's fair to say that reading is an excuse for writing, a focal point for the marginalia, which are actually the central event of literacy. this means that literacy is never a matter of mere entertainment, and even the most frivolous guilty-pleasure kitsch provides no rationale for disengagement. i would accordingly assimilate the least plausible twilight knockoff with the same rigor as lukacs' history and class consciousness, say.

[Sun]

The book dictates the reading. Some books I breeze through, reading passively, just going along with the ride, Others, I can only enjoy if I invest in them.

As a general rule, I prefer to read slowly, trying to squeeze every ounce of emotional and mental gratification from a book. I take my time and make sure I absorb every scene. I'm actively in search of subtext, themes, symbolism.. etc, pondering over paragraphs and images to make sure I've digested it all. The key for me in enjoying a book is in finding a place for myself within its sphere. So I will try very hard to establish that connection, find that emotional sconce, very early on in the reading.

I've never taken notes for fiction, but I will stop reading to look up a word, especially now that Kindle and iBook incorporate the function.

I also imagine 'hearing' dialog and if I read it fast I 'hear' it like the characters are speaking fast.

I do that as well. Sometimes I'll even read a line out loud to make sure I have the right emotional tone, and cadence.

[Melonica Stormborn]

It also highly depends on the book for me. Some books I enjoy more if I stop and savor every turn of phrase, some books compel me to read with more urgency because of the suspense. In any case, I'm better at identifying themes and other things one might need to identify for a book review after I've read the whole book. That's because I like to look at things at macro-level first before going into the minute details.

I don't like writing down notes and I have a fairly sharp memory (not counting ASoIAF of course) but I consult a dictionary if there's something unclear to me. With my e-reader, I've taken the habit of highlighting passages but that's the best I can do without breaking momentum.

[DaveSumm]

Essentially what I'm doing when I'm reading is directing an adaption of it in my head. Which is why I can't understand people who read quickly; I could read quickly, but wouldn't want to anymore than I'd want to watch a movie on double speed, regardless of whether of not I could still understand it. Events take place in my head as quickly as they would in real life.

[Lord Tyrion]

I started reading properly around the age of 16. I read the first two Harry Potter Books when I was like 12, but that was for school (choose a book and read it). The book I read for the pleasure of reading was The Da Vinci Code. The film had just come out and there was a lot of hype about it, so I bought the book to read while living in at college.

I'm quite a slow, but passive reader. I mainly read fiction and don't take any notes (if I'm interested in a subject, I tend to look it up online). I do look up words if I don't understand them, but there tend to be not a lot of words in fiction, that I've read, that I don't understand.

In terms of non-fiction, I mainly look up/read stuff on philosophy (particularly Post-Modernism), psychology, film and other subjects if I get the buzz off them. Still though I don't tend to write things done. I'm a person that works everything out in my head first. Mainly due to me having slight learning difficulty - Dyspraxia, which makes me struggle with getting words down onto the paper.

I'm into the same philosophy stuff that you are I believe. I've gotten into adding these types of books to my goodreads. These are usually the books that I have a bit of trouble reading. I write notes in my iPhone app, Evernote. I have a list of books with notes in each so I learn the material better and it becomes stuck in my memory easily. It really does help because I find myself reciting what I've written later on.

[Madness]

Essentially what I'm doing when I'm reading is directing an adaption of it in my head. Which is why I can't understand people who read quickly; I could read quickly, but wouldn't want to anymore than I'd want to watch a movie on double speed, regardless of whether of not I could still understand it. Events take place in my head as quickly as they would in real life.

+1. Best projector ever.

solo, I heart you, buddy. Lol. True literari vigour :D.

I've got to say I've really enjoyed reading this thread and Anybody else read more than one book at a time?

As someone interested in diversifying my understanding of different cognitive habits, reading about reading is favourable pastime. I like the implication that there are many more than a single experience to readings: auditory, visual constructions or tactile and spatial orientations of time and narrative. Really cool.

Also, in the spirit of things, I'm reading The Dumbest Generation right now - breezing through it as it goes, pretty tame compared to some of the heavier studies I make it through - and I'd like to mention again my appreciation to all you readers for existing at all. We're a dimishing statistic as much as we're a diverse demographic.