I know people who always have several different books on the go, sometimes one for work, one for the car, one for home… I am not one of those people. When it comes to reading, I’m a serial monogamist, one book at a time.
Reading my one book at a time today, I realized something else I do when I’m reading. Often, right in the middle of an emotionally-charged scene, especially an absorbing one, I’ll put the book down, sometimes even mid-sentence, to do something menial. Today, for example, I put my book down to lower the sun umbrella on my patio. It wasn’t something I needed to do in that moment, and I realized that it’s a habit I have, putting books down in the middle of their best parts to give me a few extra minutes to absorb the story and not let the scene rush by too quickly. Does anyone else do that?
What are your reading habits? Do you read more than one book at a time? Zoom through the good bits or try to slow down and savour them? And then there’s the whole question of dog-earing or using a bookmark…