How do you people read books?

Submitted ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩ by ⁨button_masher@lemmy.ml⁩ to ⁨[deleted]⁩

I’m struggling getting back into “serious” reading and feel like my physical posture and environment is hindering me.

I used to read a lot (have inhaled many a Brandon Sanderson books on release) but I can’t get into reading “hard” books. I read mainly in bed (with my kobo) but finding it tricky and I am turning into a hunchback. Audiobooks while cycling)/gym is great, but bit distracting for “hard” books.

How do ye do it?

Do you have a fav chair or environment (like a reading nook)?
When and how do you make time to “digest” books?
Do you take notes and if so, how?
bonus question: what was a recent hard book that you enjoyed (and made you reframe stuff) and would recommend?

Thank you!

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hoch@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
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- pishadoot@sh.itjust.works ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  Yep this is all I came to the thread for
  
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- button_masher@lemmy.ml ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  I only was using it as a category!
  
  A few people are great friends of mine!! I like all people equally.
  
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communism@lemmy.ml ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
Do you actually want to read them, firstly? I can read “hard” books just fine when they’re on a topic I’m genuinely interested in and I actually want to read the book. But if I force myself to read a “hard” book on something I don’t care about, it’ll be painful.

I always highlight and annotate non-fiction with any thoughts/comments/etc, and if it’s a work I expect to find particularly valuable, I also take separate notes. Usually these are digital notes in the note-taking app of my choice (currently Notesnook), but for some books I get a physical notebook. It also helps motivate me if I get some nice highlighters and pens and take pretty notes.

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dkppunk@piefed.social ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
I read pretty much only fiction, but I’ll pick up nonfiction occasionally if it’s a topic that really interests me, usually insects or spiders 😁

I sit too much already, so I’ve been reading on my feet more. I’ll usually walk a path around my living room table or through a couple of rooms. It’s made it easier for me to read more that way because I’m not slumped over and hurting my back. I don’t walk fast, just a slow casual stroll on a set path where I know I won’t trip. Sometimes I’ll pause at a corner and lean against the wall for a few minutes before I start walking again.

bonus question: what was a recent hard book that you enjoyed (and made you reframe stuff) and would recommend?

A book I would recommend that made me reframe thoughts on autonomy was The Stars Are Legion by Kameron Hurley. There were parts that were pretty brutal and difficult to read, but I think it’s a great thought experiment. Annie Bot by Sierra Greer is also great in this area.
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Carl@anarchist.nexus ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
Most of my reading is done via audiobooks these days, simply because I can listen while doing other tasks. I can wash the dishes, vacuum the house, etc, and those things would normally prevent me from reading. But with audiobooks, that isn’t a concern. Once I started listening to audiobooks, my annual book count went from ~12 to +60. Simply because I don’t have enough time to dedicate just to sitting in one spot staring at pages.

For visual reading, I tend to use my kobo. I got particularly lazy about bed-reading though. I got a gooseneck mount. It attaches to my headboard, and holds my kobo wherever I want. Combine that with a Bluetooth page-turn remote, and I can comfortably lay in bed and read without even needing to keep my hands on the ereader. In terms of comfort, the clip and remote are the two single greatest investments I ever made, and they fundamentally changed the way I think about reading in bed.

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- innermachine@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  I feel like I’d be falling asleep with that setup! Hell as it is at least once a week I wake up because I dropped my book into my face.
  
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yermaw@sh.itjust.works ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
I dont, I get audiobooks and listen to them on my commute.

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OldGrayDog@fedinsfw.app ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
One word at a time.

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crash_thepose@lemmy.ml ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
My answer is different depending on if it’s fiction or non.

Also context I’m in academia which means I read constantly for work. This sadly means though that I don’t read much fiction or for fun. I do try and mediate that by reading poetry since they’re short !

But when I do read for fun I tend to read before going to bed so I’m laying down in bed.

For non fiction I will read lots of places. And I pretty much can’t digest the information unless I’m able to highlight and annotate what I’m reading.

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- button_masher@lemmy.ml ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  Ooh haven’t taken a bath in years! Pray the book isn’t too interesting otherwise you’ll prune into old age.
  
  Thanks for the input! If I may ask, where exactly do you do your academic reading? On your desk? And how do you make time/ritual for it?
  
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  - crash_thepose@lemmy.ml ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    Usually at a coffee shop. But I will also read at my home desk, at my office desk, in the bathtub haha, and sometimes outside on my porch.
    
    The ritual thing is tricky for me because I’m kind of forced to make it routine. But I will say that you may want to think about when is your most alert focused time of the day. I try and force myself to start work as close to 930 as possible and have learned that I max out at deep focusing for reading and writing after like 2 - 3 hrs.
    
    If I’m really not feeling it sometimes I’ll just put a timer on and tell myself I’ll just read even for five minutes! Five min is Better than no reading !
    
    My biggest dilemma is that I have chronic pain issues in my neck and can’t figure out how to hold the book properly to not exacerbate my neck pain! Haven’t figured that one out.t hough
    
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thymos@discuss.tchncs.de ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
I usually sit on the couch sideways with two pillows in my back. I have a reading light now that I face towards the book. That made a big difference since I no longer have to stretch my neck to see the page.
Back in university I had to read two books a week, that was tough. To stay concentrated I would sit at a desk or table with bright lights on.

I mostly read at night now, after my boyfriend has gone to sleep. He’s sweet and all, but can be very loud and distracting, so reading is practically impossible if he’s around. It sucks, but hey.

I rarely take notes, but if I do it’s in my note app on my phone. Which is kinda annoying, and might be why I don’t take many notes…

I don’t have a recommendation, but what I noticed myself about reading difficult material is that I sometimes lack some prerequisite knowledge. The book itself usually doesn’t make this explicit of course, but it can help to read a summary of the book first or a Wikipedia page about the topic before going in.
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HubertManne@piefed.social ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
I don’t. One thing that makes it harder is I have bifocals now. I was near sighted my whole life but man far sighted is a bitch.

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yuki_gassen@lemmy.ml ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
Nonfiction:

First pass: Slow, deliberate, digest each word. A simple annotation system. ! for passages that are thought provoking. Arrow for major details and connections to other details. ? for… Take a guess.

Immediately after the chapter/section: jot down what u recall (thesis, conclusion, details, dates, names). Summarize. ~10 minutes

Day or two later: Flip thru your annotations, look thru your notes. Fill in the gaps.

Repeat of desired!

The Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein. Imo, mandatory reading. Incredibly informative, enraging, and educational.

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- quick_snail@feddit.nl ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  I’ve been trying to find The Take on audiobook but can’t
  
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djdarren@piefed.social ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
Like so many others, I read constantly as a kid. Then I got older and had more to do, and then I got the internet on my phone and that was that.

Then I got a Kobo a few years back, because I really wanted to pick it back up again. It’s easily favourite device. Literally all it does is show me books. No distractions.

I tried cracking in to some longer, tougher reads, but found myself really struggling, so I decided to read a few young adult books instead, which helped enormously. Turns out that reasonably short books with relatively light plots are perfect for dialing the brain back in.

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WhisperingEye@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
In the words of the great Kirk Lazarus: what do you mean, you people?

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WhiteOakBayou@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
If you are turning into a hunchback try holding the book at eye level instead of where you have to look down. I like those stick on stands, usually the ring ones, on my devices so I can do it one handed

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- quick_snail@feddit.nl ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  What stick on stands? Link?
  
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  - WhiteOakBayou@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    Something like this
    
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666dollarfootlong@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
Reclined on the sofa or in bed with two pillows behind me. My hands do get sore so I rarely read for more than 40min. Sometimes i do just sit hunchback if I get really hooked.

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sunsofold@lemmy.zip ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
Reading fiction and non-fiction (I assume this is what you mean by 'hard) are effectively different activities.

Reading fiction is about getting caught up in an imagined world. The stakes are lower and the expectations are lower. This makes it easier. If you miss the paragraph where a character is described as having a beard, you won’t feel the need to go back to reread when you find out they do four chapters later when they scratch said beard.

Reading non-fiction is about building new conceptual structures in your mind. It requires more attention. If you fail to understand Nietzsche’s ressentiment in ‘Geneology of Morals,’ you are unlikely to be able to understand the later concept of the ‘priestly’ morality. You will not be able to fully construct the conceptual structures the book attempts to generate.

Because of this, reading non-fiction is a process of doing whatever is necessary to get all the parts and relations into one’s mind in order to produce a mental tool and then, hopefully, learn to use it. If notes help, write them. Rubber ducking can help. Simple repetition can help. Slowing down can help. Talking to other readers (as in a study group (shoutout to @DGQC on YT)) can help. Concept mapping can help. Sleeping on it can help. Highlighting can help. Cross referencing can help.

It’s study. What helped you learn in school? Do that.

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quick_snail@feddit.nl ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
Audio books when making breakfast, lunch, dinner, and when walking to the store.

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- Smoogs@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  audio ftw. when youre busy but still want to appreciate and support solid content.
  
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chicken@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

I read mainly in bed (with my kobo) but finding it tricky and I am turning into a hunchback

I do the same but it’s not uncomfortable or causes me to strain my back, I lay on my side and prop the ereader up with pillows

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EggInDisguise@lemmy.blahaj.zone ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
Not sure what you mean by “hard” books…

I read pretty much anywhere I have time to, usually while laying in bed or out hammocking. I’d say my favorite spot is a nearby state park hammocking in one specific area that gets sun through the canopy but not so much it’s overbearing on a warm day. It’s just a great scene to occasionally pause and look around.

It’s a lot easier to read in a cushioned chair if I’m reading a physical book, but I mostly read on my kobo as well, so I don’t have to worry about weight making my arms uncomfortable to hold a book in reclined positions.

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FreshParsnip@lemmy.ca ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
When I read on the computer, I do it anywhere. When I read physical books, I usually read on the loveseat in my den

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melsaskca@lemmy.ca ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
Whether fiction or non-fiction sometimes you get distracted by internal or external sources. Find a quiet place where you can do your best to focus. When it comes to something especially interesting to you then distractions do not matter, you’ll get pulled through by the words.

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RBWells@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
I’m not sure what you mean by hard books? I read a lot, but more for entertainment, books written at different levels but none are schoolbooks, not dry and hard to read in that way.

AFA setup, I n the couch with a cat on my lap and music in the air is my favorite way to read. Runner up is reading on the back deck with a big glass of ice water and a cocktail or glass of wine. I don’t read in bed.

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BuboScandiacus@mander.xyz ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
I just found out that, just like with music, I absolutely hate most stuff associated with people similar to me

So I just spend a large amount of time on finding books that I actually like and read those

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sbeak@sopuli.xyz ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
I have no idea what your reading interests are or reading level, but I’m currently reading “Cosmos” by Carl Sagan, and it’s an excellent book that is still quite relevant to the modern day! Sagan has a bunch of other books too you might be interested in, like “Pale Blue Dot” or “Contact”, the latter being sci-fi rather than nonfiction.

I am also looking forward to reading “Reality is Not What It Seems” by Carlo Rovelli, as well as “A Brief History of Time” by Stephen Hawking.

I’m interested in physics, astronomy, and space stuff, can you tell?

If you are of a lower reading level, as a kid I loved the Treehouse books by Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton, where in each book, an additional 13 stories is added, each filled with silly rooms. Mr Big Nose, the publisher who occasionally checks in, has a literal exploding nose. Andy and Terry get up to all sorts of antics, often accompanied by Jill, their animal-loving friend who is based on the wife of Andy (the author)

No particular chair, but I always bring one or two books with me so I have something to do when travelling (e.g. in long train or aeroplane trips), waiting in a restaurant, etc.

Don’t really take notes when reading, but if that helps you remember the things you have read than that’s awesome!

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- sbeak@sopuli.xyz ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  Andy has also written plenty of other good children’s books as well, like the Just [Thing]! series and “What Body Part is That?” (the latter being a silly book with nonsensical facts about the human body)
  
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- sbeak@sopuli.xyz ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  I remember I read up to the 143 storey treehouse book, but it looks like there are two more in the series (giving a total of 13 books, that seems about right)
  
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- sbeak@sopuli.xyz ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  Of all the children’s books, I believe that the multiple-of-13 Story Treehouse books are the best.
  
  Harry Potter is neat but isn’t as funny and not really all that original. Plus, there are some aspects that I find distasteful (e.g. idea that most of the house-elves enjoyed being slaves, the author being transphobic)
  
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  - Tollana1234567@lemmy.today ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    i enjoyed the MTG lore books when it came as a kit, with the deck box and all. i read them sequentially because there is context to the future books, you wont get the story you are reading at its current block, if dint read the last few books, i think started after the first mirrodin and stopped lorywn block. i stopped getting the books/packs eventually because it was silly and nobody played it after hs.
    
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felixwhynot@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
I usually read for pleasure. I prefer fiction and read some nonfiction.

iPad, Libby app, in a keyboard case, on pillows on my lap on the couch. Fiction in the morning with coffee.

I sometimes highlight or save quotes but don’t often take notes. I will discuss with my partner or friends if it comes up.

Digestion happens naturally I guess!

The Gutenberg Parenthesis was a good read and dense. I read it over a few weeks while going to sleep on my phone.
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trashcroissant@lemmy.blahaj.zone ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
I just listen to them. It does take more concentration to listen to ‘hard’ books but then I do something more mindless like cross stitch or colouring. Just anything to keep my hands busy so I can focus on the content. Sometimes I will also have a digital version of the book so I can re-read something if I’m getting stuck on a part.

They also sell kobo holders for bed, that might help you?

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LeapSecond@lemmy.zip ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
I think if a book is captivating enough, the environment doesn’t matter too much. I do most of my reading in public transport, usually standing and reading on my phone. You can hold your phone in a way without slouching or your hand getting tired. For books that are really demanding I may prefer reading at home, sitting on a chair or the bed. But I can’t read while lying down, it’s either super uncomfortable or I fall asleep. Physical books are nice when they’re small but I’ll still prefer the phone. No notes or anything like that, maybe some underlining that I’ll forget to get back to afterwards.

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akunohana@piefed.blahaj.zone ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
~~If by “hard” books you mean physical books, then counterpoint: why do you want to go back to reading physical books if:~~

~~Your physical posture is better for your health without them~~

~~if molding/adjusting your environment to be book friendly is too costly (mentally/physically/financially/what have you)~~

Scratch all that, I noticed upon reading further down in your post that you actually meant cognitively hard books to digest. 😅

Otherwise:

my favorite, or rather required, environment is outdoors. Indoors, I fall asleep from reading. I’d have to, figuratively, inject myself with caffeine or something to be able to read indoors. Here is one of my favorite spots:

bVZeKqsm2GcEwMP.jpg

I digest each reading session by walking to and from work. I’m also single and have no (other) life, so I have lots of time for reflection. I also share my thoughts on the books with my family over Signal.

I’m always prepared to take notes, carrying around a notebook and a fountain pen, but it rarely happens. Perhaps if I had somebody in my everyday life with whom to share my notes? Even then, I would have to feel quite challenged, intrigued or provoked (in a good way) for it to be worthy of writing down.
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- crash_thepose@lemmy.ml ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  Yes but I am looking for advice on how to make reading not physically hard on my neck! So any advice is welcome. I bought an ebook to even see if that could help somehow
  
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  - akunohana@piefed.blahaj.zone ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    Try lying down on your back on a hard surface and put a foamroller behind your neck. Although the book becomes heavy pretty soon…
    
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  - Tollana1234567@lemmy.today ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    how are you reading it? your head hanging straight down on the table, that sure way to cause it. maybe lean the book on something at an angle so its easier on the eyes.
    
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ambassadormagpie@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
For posture/comfort, I started using a wedge pillow that people with GERD use to help prevent acid reflux issues while they sleep. They’re made with a firm but comfortable foam. I usually use it vertically while sitting in bed, with an extra pillow for head support, and can read for an hour or more without much discomfort.

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bassgirl09@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
There are lots of different adjustable book holders on the market. Some of them can be adjusted for height and tilt. I would look into one of those. That way you can sit with proper posture in your favorite chair and read your book! Something like the LEVO G2 Floor Stand with Wheels book holder might be what you need for maximum adjustability.

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Kolanaki@pawb.social ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
I usually start by opening them and looking at the words on the pages, personally.

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