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Monday, March 14, 2022

Not Just a Mom: Reading Habits

 Hello hello! Today the Not Just a Mom crew are sharing our reading habits, and I am curious to read along to find out all about how you read, what you read, and what you do after having read a book. Thank you for reading along with Adrienne, Dara, Jen, Joanne, Sarah and I today.

For this post I am going to take you through the reading process with me. So first let's start with:

 "I want to read a book, how do I choose which one? Where do I get it?"

My first step is always to check out my "Books" list on the Notes app on my phone. As you can see, this list is currently 50 books long. I add these books after reading blog recommendations, a friend or family member recommends one, or I stumble across a book that looks good in Target/Costco/Barnes & Noble/etc.

After choosing which book I want to read next, my first stop is to look in the "books" section of apps on my phone. I usually check Libby first (library audiobooks and ebooks), then Hoopla (more library audiobooks and ebooks), then I'll check the regular library app. If they don't have the book I want, then I'll go to Audible and download it as an audiobook. Sometimes if the wait is long for a book, I'll check out multiple at one time and see whichever one comes available first. That can often lead to a nightstand with 4-5 books on it if they all come available at the same time. Like my current situation:

  Some weeks it feels like it's either all of my books are available at once, or nothing at all! 

Once in a blue moon, if I really like a book and think it is worth buying a hard copy and keeping it at my house, I'll buy one. Several years ago I used to buy every single book until Devin said "you read like 35 books a year and each book is roughly $15... that's over $500 a year that you could save by using the library." I was embarrassed I hadn't though of it that way. I was just looking at it like $15 here, $15 there, but it really does add up. Now, especially because of the kids, I am a library addict. We go 2-3 times per week to get new books.  

My book is ready. How do I read it?

My first preference for "reading" is usually an audiobook. I love audiobooks because I can listen while I clean the kitchen, while I fold laundry, while I'm out running errands, etc. I can speed through a book much faster if I have the audiobook version as opposed to a hard copy or an ebook. I also love when an audiobook is read by the author, it helps me to connect with that author a little more. That being said, sometimes I'm in the mood for an ebook or hard copy of a book, or that's all the library has, so I read those fairly often too. I'd say 60% of the time it's an audiobook, and the other 40% is an ebook/hard copy. 

Now I've read finished the book. What's next?

For the past 7-8 years I have been keeping a book journal. In these book journals I write my goal for how many books I'd like to read that year, the title and author of each book, and then I grade the book. Very similar to what I do on my monthly book blog posts. Even though I do that virtually through my blog now, I prefer to still keep a hard copy of my book journal because: 

A) I like journaling and my book journal brings me joy 

B) I like having all the books I've read in one place, where I can easily skim through them.

C) Sometimes I'll loan my book journals to a friend or family member who says "I want to read something but don't know what". Then I loan them my journals for the past few years and they can usually find something they like. 

I recently updated my GoodReads account after several friends and blog readers asking over the years. If you know how to add me as a friend on Goodreads, please do! The email I used is my personal one, laurendarrell13@gmail.com. At the risk of sounding like I'm 110, I'm still trying to figure out the easy way to update everything on GoodReads, so bear with me if I don't accept your request right away. Maybe one of you can teach me!!

If you are a blogger who wrote about your reading habits, please link up with us at the bottom of this post!

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6 comments :

  1. GoodReads isn't the easiest app, but I do use it! Do you listen to your audio books at 1x speed? To me that is waaaay toooo sloooow!

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  2. I am bad about goodreads updating. I got aggravated one time that it wasn't syncing with books I had read. i need to get in the habit of updating it each month

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  3. I keep my list to read on goodreads. Then I also have the books I've read so I don't double dip. Loved seeing your reading habits.

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  4. Love your idea of keeping a book journal!! Maybe I should try that? Thanks for linking up!

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  5. I am not really up on Goodreads and don't use the app much because of that. LOL. Every time I open my kindle it still says "reading" on a book that I read like 4 years ago and I have no idea how to change that either. I too tend to get ALL my books at the library (or through our library loan program). Though I was recently introduced to a used bookstore just 2 towns over and most books are only $1-2 and they support a local church outreach program so I'm trying to remember to go there on occasion too and just browse.

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  6. I'm just dipping my toe into GoodReads this year too and trying to figure it out. It's taken a bit for me to get my head wrapped around it.

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