I tend to go through phases in which whenever I find a bunch of books I’m really interested in, I’ll read a ton. But, once I finish those, I’ll read less for a while. I think my top speed if I’m really invested in what I’m reading is around 800 pages a day, but I never sustain that for long because I run out of book.

I pretty much exclusively read fantasy, with a focus on books with hard magic systems, progression elements, and/or some sort of cultivation (which itself is a progression element).

When I was a kid, I struggled with reading for years because I wasn’t interested in anything I read at school. I only really started reading a ton when I found books I was interested in (fantasy), which in turn made me a lot better at reading from all the practice.

Somewhat more recently, I’ve started reading webnovels in between traditionally published books, which is nice because you get a continuous drip of content. I also generally just read on my phone, as it’s very convenient to pop out a book wherever I am. I like physical books too, but I don’t tend to get through them as fast because I can’t fit them in my pocket and take them with me everywhere.

My experience is that if you want to develop a habit of reading a lot, you should focus on finding something you enjoy, as it’s a lot easier to make a habit of doing something you like than something you don’t like.

• What are your reading habits like? I try to read at a minimum a chapter a night. That said I read a lot thanks to my commute to and from work 3x per week. I seem to read about a book a week. I do it for pleasure and I’ve gotten better about not finishing books. Though I will probably finish a book even I’m not loving it. It has to be bad for me to not finish.
  In being an avid reader I think it’s important and valuable in reading some stuff that isn’t as fun (mostly classics). That said I think people who don’t read much can steer clear easily. It’s a hobby and do whatever you like doing the most.

• What do you like to read? Mostly fantasy or SciFi. Ive been branching out into more traditional fiction genres and I’ll read some historical things from time to time. I’m not tied down to a genre but I find poorly written fantasy can get carried by cool concepts or world building.

• What kind of stage of life are you in, and how does that affect it? I just started my career and I’ve been reading all my life. My mum made sure I would read since I was quite young and I liked it. I’ve had ups and downs ans I definitely read more now than I did in high school and university thanks to my long commute.

• What else? I’ll reiterate, do what you like even if it is to not read. Live life your way. That said, if you wanna get into reading, setting yourself a page or chapter target daily is a good place to start. Don’t worry about how many books you read in a period. Sit back and find enjoyment in what you are reading or did read, not stress in what you didn’t read.

I’ll throw you a book recommendation because it’s always gotten me out of a reading slump: the Scorpio races by Maggie stiefvater. It’s targeted at younger folks but I think it’s an extremely enjoyable read still and has plenty to Enjoy for anyone

I don’t read much for entertainment. Never have. The focus on “reading is super important” is honestly pretty stupid in my opinion. 99% of the shit people are reading is probably trashier than any other form of entertainment but people act like its a mark of a superior intellect because they are flipping through pages of a book.

I also find the physical act of reading a book to be incredibly distracting from consuming the information therein. I read much more efficiently and enjoyably using digital platforms than I ever did with printed media. I’m in my mid 30’s and probably an outlier for my age group in regards to how I feel about books.

Its just another form of entertainment, should not be put on a pedestal, and is really just as valid (or invalid) as any other form of entertainment—if you don’t find yourself drawn to it then don’t beat yourself up about it. No one is going around belittling people for not watching enough movies during a given annum; why treat reading a book like it’s some great and noble act?

I love books

My biggest recommendation is to avoid asking for recommendations online, particularly in reading - centric communities.

People love to pretend their favourite books are classical just through sheer pretentiousness

The most genuine people you’ll find in life are the ones that are perfectly happy to admit they fucking love a trashy thriller

I just read because I enjoy it. Around 20-30 per year. This year it’s looking out to be around 25. I wouldn’t read if I didn’t like doing it. I don’t think it makes much sense to force yourself into it. Sometimes I read historical stuff but usually it’s fiction of some sort. Historical fiction, fantasy, scifi. I’m a student so I suppose that helps.

What helped me read more was getting an e-reader. It’s just so much more pleasant than regular books and the selection is much larger.

• i read fairly regularly. 60-120 minutes per day
• i like reading mostly nonfiction, generally textbooks or other learning material. I’ll also read whatever books my SO recommends, and whatever the current book is for a book club im in.
• I’m young enough that ill be working the rest of my life and this means I’m just trying to learn new skills and hopefully be able to retire someday
• I’ve gotten better over time. I set aside a dedicated block of time for distraction free reading. I make use of pomodoro timers to help stay focused.
• economics 101: time is a scarce resource. It is limited in supply and everyone wants more. Be very intentional with your time. How you spend time naturally shows what you currently value. Maybe that means you will value reading, but maybe that means you will value something else. Think about what you spend time on says about you, and if you don’t like what something says then fix it.

• “Foundation” by Isaac Asimov is one of the only 3 novels I have read, that are were not part of my school course.
• Another one was some romance novel that I got as a prize for some competition I can’t remember and I managed to force myself to read it until the end. Needless to say, I didn’t like it. The setting was probably Victorian Era.
• The third is an English translation of the Light Novel “Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei”, which I am not sure when I intend on completing.

I am a very sloow reader. Foundation was a pretty thin book and I took months. I tend to read a little, imagine it, dream on it and have fun that way and this one turned out to work really well for that. I thought of checking out the Prelude and other parts in the series, but never went ahead with it.

I have seen myself getting intrigued by the thought the writer (may/may not have) put into the worldbuilding aspect and find myself exploring the same in my mind.

My habits: I read what I feel like, when I feel like it. I remember having borrowed picture encyclopedias from school libraries as a child and just leisurely reading them. Those things were pretty fun too.

My sleep-routine is that I read (usually my kindle) in bed at night.

It’s kind of great both because I like reading, but also because it makes me fall asleep.

I read my first book in 11 years, I finished it 2 weeks ago. It’s The Expanse. I loved the series and someone gifted me the first book.

My trick? I commute by train and have my book with me everywhere I go. If there’s waiting to be done, there’s reading time.

I read books for personal enjoyment, basically never for learning or self-improvement or anything like that. I only ever read one book at a time and mostly in the evening before going to sleep.

I’m in my early thirties. My reading speed varies quite a lot based on the book and my mood, but I’ve definitely noticed that I’ve become “worse” at reading in recent years. Too many digital distractions I guess. That said, if I do manage to read for 2 hours before going to sleep, I sleep so much better than if I watch a movie or doomscroll on Lemmy or whatever.

I mostly read sci-fi and fantasy, sometimes historical novels. I think this year I’ve finished 4 books so far, and dropped one quarter-way through. There were definitely years where I’ve managed way more.

What are your reading habits like?

When I pick up a book I typically get hooked after ten to fifteen pages and then complete it on the same day (think ~100s of pages in hours, ~1000s pages in days). This often results in me semi-self-destructively finishing the book and then not touching a book for at least a few days as I have to deal with the things I neglected while reading.

What do you like to read?

Mostly Novels

What kind of stage of life are you in, and how does that affect it?

Have you made any changes, positive or negative, to your reading habits?

I went from physical books to reading a lot on my phone. This allows me to read easily and blend in better while in public. It comes with the advantage that I break up big monolouthic reading sessions with small micro breaks.

What else?

Even though it’s somewhat obvious: I also like to get books that aren’t in my native tongue, I find that reading teaches you a lot about the application of a language.

Got to around 30 yrs old

I realized that I, on paper, really like non-fiction books. In practice, I really only like fantasy and space operas (different than sci-fi)

Every night before bed, I read 10 pages or a chapter. Whichever comes first. Can always read more, but not less.

So to answer,

Almost every night Fantasy / space opera Mid 30s, father I’ve added audiobooks to my commute The most important part (I think) is figuring out what you like, and then setting a small but achievable routine

What are your reading habits like?

I read like some people doomscroll - in bed when I’m supposed to be sleeping, when I’m eating my meals, on public transportation, while walking, on the toilet, waiting in line… Basically any time I’m not using my brain for anything else. If the book is interesting I’ll find more excuses to pull out my Kindle, but at the very minimum I’ll read in bed at the end of the day. It’s not a goal or anything that I’ve pushed onto myself, it’s just become habit to read myself to sleep, and I’ve been doing it for as long as I can remember. It was a real pain before I got a backlit Kindle - I’d fall asleep and leave the lamp on all night and lose my place if I was reading a physical book. I don’t like to have more than 1 book going at once. 1 fiction and 1 non fiction is okay, but nothing more than that. If the book is a series, I’ll pick up book 1 and continue all the way through the series back to back, and then go back to read spinoffs and prequels in whatever order makes the most sense. I also read all the books I can find from the same author in a similar fashion. If the series wasn’t finished and a new book gets released after I’ve already read the rest of a series, I’ll go back and read all of the books before it first. Being in-between books is a feeling I am very uncomfortable with, so I’m always in the middle of something. I will often keep reading books that I don’t enjoy that much just as a stop-gap until I find the next series to get hooked on. It’s a little psychotic now that I think about it.

What do you like to read?

Mostly sci-fi and fantasy novels, but I’ll consume almost anything with interesting world building, mechanics/magic systems, or compelling characters. For non-fiction, I like things that teaches me how things work, usually astronomy or quantum mechanics. I’ve read some great books written from the perspective of physicists as they went through their journey of discovery.

What kind of stage of life are you in, and how does that affect it?

I’m 33, married, have a 4 year old, and work full time. I don’t think it’s affected my reading very much, I’ve been stealing reading time ever since I was a kid. Reading on the bus to school, reading walking around, reading during meals (drove my mother nuts), reading if I finished my work in class… I’ve always had my nose in a book. I have less time overall for reading now, but the way I do it is still the same.

Have you made any changes, positive or negative, to your reading habits?

I honestly cannot think of any changes I’ve made, but maybe I should consider some. Writing this post makes me realize I’m treating books like a drug addiction.

What else?

1. Don’t be like me and read in bed if you can avoid it, it’s not great for sleep hygiene. It’s too late for me, save yourself.
2. Don’t read if you don’t genuinely want to. Don’t push yourself to read a certain number of pages a day, or a certain number of books in a year. Don’t read just “to read”, it’s not sustainable. I think you should just aim to try a book that sounds interesting to you every now and then, and if it doesn’t compell you to read further then just put it down and walk away. You don’t NEED to finish a book, let yourself be happy. As an avid reader, nothing frustrates me more than people treating reading like a chore or some desired goal. It’s just words on a page, don’t put it on a pedestal.
3. I’d be interested to hear how you experience reading. Do you “see” the book like a movie? Is it better than a movie, in that you can smell/feel/taste things? Or do you experience it like someone is reading out loud to you? I was speaking with a friend once, and she asked how people like me could read for hours in end. She asked “don’t you get sick of the sound of your own voice?” and that was such an eye-opening question for me. She heard the words being spoken whenever she read, she didn’t really visualize anything at all. I had no idea it could be like that. For me, I don’t hear the words. I don’t see the words on the page. It’s like I’m in the matrix and the experience gets fed directly into my brain and I can see and feel and hear everything and there’s even this 6th sense sometimes that I can’t describe. When I have to suddenly stop reading a good book, it feels like pulling my head out of a giant bowl of very firm jello. I think this is the main difference between readers and non-readers. It’s not that one is more “enlightened” or have “good habits” or is an “intellectual”. It’s just more enjoyable for some (and more work/effort for others) on a very fundamental level. Not reading is not a shortcoming.

Sorry for the massive reply!

(edit: formatting)

I finish maybe 5 books a year. The library makes it so there’s a “deadline”, that helps.

I also don’t mind picking up a book, and returning it after a few chapters if I realise I don’t like it.

It shouldn’t feel like a chore.

I will be 40 in February. I read daily. But what I read daily is this shit. Posts and comments. Memes and news articles. Maybe someone’s fanfic on Tumblr.

Been getting into furry focused visual novels after getting bored and checking out Adastra since I had heard of it years ago and never actually played it, and I just haven’t been able to get enough of Howlie’s work since (finish The Smoke Room so you can get back on Khemia, please! 😩)

I like sci-fi and romance. Adastra was both and has been the best fucking thing I’ve ever read.

I haven’t read an honest to God book since Ready Player One initially came out.