[JohnH]

It takes but a moment to figure out that most regulars here are not just fans but fanatics.

And for some of us, reading is not a pleasurable pasttime but something a twelve step program might lend some aid to.

So just to fan the flames of discussion, I was wondering what else tickles your fancy.
About reading that is. Not the work itself, mind, but rather those things that go into the whole reading process.

Yeah, sitting in a favorite chair counts. So does wearing certain oversized slippers I some might slide on.

But what else?

For me there are at least as many 'intangibles' as there are books.

There are the books that oddly mesh with the climate of the time. Some books just fit better in the cold of winter (does that mean the book is worse because I read it in July? Heck no!*) But somehow reading that book as a heavy snow fell with just a slightly stronger than usual wind made the book feel 'more right'.

Some books seem to beg for curling up with a blanket. Some seem to ask to be read in the heat of the late summer afternoon.

Some books feel better because they are in hardback. Some have covers that help set the whole mood or maintain it. In both cases Patricia McKillip's books (the current being the inspiration for this post) fit the bill. Opulent and evocative covers that demand a second and a third look. Small but hefty hardbacks that seem, I don't know, like a work of art when the size and the cover are combined. Of course such thought would not be raised if the book was crap. Such sentiments are only for those books that are well written to begin with.

But what are your rituals? What books demand certain reading atmospheres or certain approaches? Jordan demands a stockpile of favorite food to nibble on while I sit down for a reading marathon. Kate Elliott for some reason demands cold weather to read. Somehow her world sits better when a warm blanket and flannel sheets are a necessity.

I know that I have a reading 'problem'. No just a hobby but a lifestyle! But the cure is definitely worse than the disease.

So what are your reading fetishes. What do you need/like to do to aid in total immersion? Just remember the rule of 'too much information' -- if it involves you and a pet or a significant other, most likely the rest of us do not want to know. For instance, if to get into goodkind you first like to tie up your spouse and flog them with the curtain sash.. well keep it to yourself!


*If you cannot parse beyond this heck no, the rest of this post is downright worthless to you and you should move on; nothing here for you folks!

[Cygnus]

Very interesting topic John.. something I had to think awhile about before posting a reply.

I am defintely one of those people who could aid from a 12 step reading cessation program. But, since the first step is to admit that you have a problem, I'll never join!

I don't have books that I feel are better to read in one season or another. I do tend to read more in the winter because one of the best things to do is curl up under a blanket and read.

I will read everywhere and anywhere, but when I'm home I do have my areas. My husband bought me papasan chair (a big, circular wooden frame with a cushion on top)for christmas, and it is a perfect place to read. I just sink into it and lose myself in a book for at least a couple of hours!

I really like to have something to munch on while I read. I like to snack on Goldfish crackers, wheat thins or M&M's (though this does make me feel guilty when I'm reading about characters who have been deprived of food.. like Sam and Frodo in Mordor). In the winter, it's great to have hot chocolate or tea on hand also.

[estranghero]

"And for some of us, reading is not a pleasurable pasttime but something a twelve step program might lend some aid to."

That's true enough. Most of the time, I read where I can, when I can, busy as I'm usually can be.

Lemme see, well, weather's not a big factor in reading. But time is. So since I have a big to-read pile at home, I normally account for 1 book to read for wherever I am: 1 book (a paperback) in my car for those long journeys and bad traffic, 1 book at my bookside before the long slide to sleep, and 1 book to bring around that I can't seem to let go. http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif

I also like eating and reading at same time (this is where big books come in since they're easier to handle while another hand holds the spoon!).

But I can never understand people who have books in the bathroom and read while doing their toilet. Why o why do people do that?!? http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/frown.gif


[This message has been edited by estranghero (edited January 19, 2002).]

[whitebelly]

Great thread!

I agree about the climate. Some books are definitely autumn/winter, Dickens, for instance, is definitely a winter author. J.V. Jones' "A Cavern of Black Ice" required an extra blanket & a hot water bottle. As Cygnus points out, there's a strange, guilty pleasure in reading in a warm bed about quests in cold lands, and drinking hot chocolate when the characters you read about have to go hungry. Fie!

As for the rest: I can shut out noise and read about anywhere - with the exception of the bathroom - though I like to be comfortable and I really prefer not to have tv or radio in the background. I love the first day of spring when it's finally warm enough to go & read outside, though I love even better curling up with a book under a duvet in winter. I esp. like lazy weekend mornings when I don't have any obligations - getting up at the same hour I have to get up in the week for work, making myself a cup of tea or coffee, and then heading straight back to bed again, for a 2 or 3 hour reading session. Then, finally, get up for real. http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif Hot food is great too in winter, and endless cups of tea ...


[This message has been edited by whitebelly (edited January 19, 2002).]

[jbcohen]

Perhaps I am a bit unusal in this respect, I am a bit adicted to reading and novels. The time of day, time of the year or whatever - it does not matter one bit - I read when ever and where ever I can. I like being able to step into another world where things are a bit different from what I am used to in this world (which is the primary reason that I like to read fantasy novels - nothing else gives me that other world to step into). In a way I guess you could say that I am a bit of an excapist, in a way excaping into an alternate world where things are a bit different. I do enjoy the curling up with the good novels but there is no real limit to when I tend to do this.

Are there any particular authors that you tend to read during a certain time of the day or season of the year? I see not difference between winter books and summer ones or fall and spring books - but perhaps others make this distinction.

[SusF]

Well I have my reading chair in my office. One quirk about me is that I can't read in the same room as a television. So my chair is in the back of the house in my computer room. It's warmer in here (and cooler in summer) than out there anyway.

I have magazines for the bathroom. http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif

My reading chair is a big recliner with the first quilt I made as a reading blanket. My main bookshelf, floor to ceiling, is behind this chair. There is a cutout where the chair sits (shelf was made for a livingroom and cutout is where the TV sat).

Next to my chair is a nightstand that has vases filled with bookmarks, pens, etc. My journal is there, too. Other side of my chair is a fish tank, next to a window where a birdfeeder hangs.

Reading chair aside, I take the book I'm reading everywhere. I never wait without a book in hand. I never eat (unless I have company) without a book in hand. The only time I leave the house without a book is if I'm heading to the bookstore or library first.

Addicted to books? You bet. I have been known to go through withdrawl symptoms if I'm too busy or distracted to read. I get very short tempered and anxious. I need that bit of quiet time every day. Television just doesn't cut it. To much TV and I also get short tempered and anxious. Probably because of all the crap that's on.

Susan

[Lady Fox]

I'm like a lot of you guys. Reading for me is an addiction, an obsession, a compulsion that I have no wish to fight. :-) I guess what I like most about reading is the relaxation I enjoy from curling up with a good book and journeying to another reality. I can read just about anywhere, but my fav spot in stretched out in my recliner with a nice blanket pulled over me and a plate of snacks within easy reach. I sometimes watch TV and read at the same time, a habit that bewilders and frustrates my husband when he comes in and wants to change the channel. As for reading habits and climate, I read year round and don't have any real preference for the book/season issue.

[Sammie]

I listen to music while i read (actually, thanx to the miracle that is the Sony MD walkman I listen to music constantly, but that's besides the point) amd it has to be the right music for the atmosphere of the book. If i get it just right, i end up never being able to hear that music without thinking of the book i read to it, and vice-versa.

[lukaspriest]

Very interesting topic indeed!

though a voracious reader, I typically find that I can only read at one time - night, before I go to sleep. It doesnt matter how late it is or how early I have to go listen to one of my professor's lectures the next day, I cannot sleep until I've read my current book. I find night and the winter months to be especially conducive to the most pleasurable reading atmospheres.

[Dominus]

Well, it seems that like most of you, I am as well addicted to reading and have no intention to stop. Ever.

As for how I read, when ever and where ever. I particulary liked it when it snowed and I was inside next to the fireplace. http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif I do like to be upstairs in front of the TV listening to classical music, though it often clashes with the mood of the book.

What I hate though, is when I stay in a position too long and have to move to a new position, which then also gets uncomfortable. http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/frown.gif

I love reading.

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