Paper or Pixel: How do you read?

[Shlup]

I was actually super excited to get an e-reader right from the start. But then again, I am a robot, so I am biased.

Same. I love it.

There are two major downfalls for me for e-readers:

1. For whatever reason, sometimes my e-readers spazzes out on me and just starts zooming ahead, and I have to page back to where I was.
2. I have an obsessive compulsive reading system that I can't do on my e-reader...I have to read it the "normal" way, and so it's kind of grating, especially if I've been reading physical books.

1. Weird.
2. Elaborate. I'm intrigued.

[Parker]

You're insane is why you need that system

[Shlup]

What is even the purpose of that??

[Formalhaut]

That's pretty interesting... I do admit to bookmarking the next chapter ahead in a physical book so I know how many pages I have left to go to get to the next chapter. Sort of a way to keep me going, because I lose attention very easily when reading a book.

My boyfriend has a kindle paperwhite and he reads it all the damn time. Seriously. We'll be in the University lounge/cafe area, and he'd be reading happily along. I ask him a question or something, and he doesn't notice me. It takes repeated attempts for him to pick down and notice! He is really into his books though, so I guess it's understandable.

I just prefer my books in paper format. I've used his kindle before, just to see what it does and stuff. It's okay, but I tried reading a book on it and just couldn't connect with it. I lost attention too easily and just didn't find the screen agreeable, even though, it being a paperwhite, it has the latest technology revolving around e-paper.

[Shiny]

I love fresh book smell almost as much as I love new shoe smell.

[Jiro]

1. I think because it's about 4 years old now, and dust has collected underneath it and sometimes it triggers the pages forewards.

2. Okay, well it will sound loopy, but here it is:

First, I take all the pages, and split them in half. Then I split them in half again. So, I more or less split the book in to quarters. I place a bookmark there. Then I read the book in blocks of 20 pages at a time. If my bookmarked page is less than 20 pages I read until there (example: my bookmarked pages is 109, so I go from page 100 to 109 instead of 120. I would have 9 pages to read in that block, and then 11 pages to read in my next block). Every time I hit my bookmark, I quarter it again, but by the pages remaining...so not actually an exact quarter of the book itself. I keep doing that until I finish the book.

I'm not sure why/how/when I developed that system, but since I have, I can't read books in any other way.

that is really smurfing fascinating

EDIT: no I'm not being sarcastic I think that is really interesting and weird as hell but you rock it girl do your weird thing

[Carl the Llama]

I mean, I read faster than anyone I know, even when I'm working/schooling/busy. I've already finished 44 books this year.

From my perspective, I feel sorry for you, I love to savour a good book. If I read like you did I would have no time to reflect on what I have read, to take it all in and form my opinion on what happened, for example it took me a good month to finish Magicians End.

Not that I am judging you for reading so fast, I just like to take it easy. My Mum (who is also a book worm) reads books like there is no tomorrow.

[Calliope]

Reading is reading, it's not a competition. No one gets a gold star for reading the most books, or the most literary books, or the most popular books, or for using bookmarks, or having a massive bookshelf full of first edition hardbacks with dustjackets, or the most state of the art eReader souped up with Zinio, OverDrive, or whatever. Maybe you like zipping through books quickly, maybe you like pausing every other page to write down a particularly compelling phrase, or to look up a word. Who cares? Just read, frequent your library or independent bookstore, and if you thought the book was that great, recommend it, or give it to someone on their birthday.

[Pike]

I often feel like a slow reader. Not because I cannot read fast when I want to, but because when I read, I hear everything in my head in a normal and conversational speed and tone. I like picturing the book as a movie in my mind, and I will even mouth the words sometimes, or pause for a few minutes during intense moments.

This means that even if I read every day, I usually only manage about one book a month. Honestly I used to think everyone read like I did, and was surprised how "slow" I was compared to everyone else! Guess it's just me