Filipino Friday 3: Reading Habits and Book Formats

Reading Habits and Book Formats. Where and how do you read? Can you read anywhere and everywhere, or do you need a certain place/mood/state of mind to get reading? Do you read more in the morning or at night or any minute that you can? Where and how do you usually read? Are you exclusively for print, or do you go for ebooks more than print? Have you ever tried audiobooks?

I am old school.  Even as most books now have digital versions, I still prefer the physical, ink-on-paper variety.  I like holding a real book, flipping the pages and being able to see my progress based on the thickness of read/unread pages.  Somehow, I feel more engaged and focused reading a physical book vs. from a gadget.

I very rarely reread books so most of my collection just sit on the shelf after I'm done with them.  I feel it's a waste of precious trees if they are not shared with others.  So I started a Google doc at work where the team can list down their collections and anybody interested in borrowing can just get in touch with the owner.  I am really excited about The Great Book Swap for the same reason.

I also check second-hand bookstores or buy online.  If I'm not in a rush to get my hands on a particular book, I would usually buy from US eBay or Amazon and have them shipped to my sister.  It's way cheaper than buying new and a good way to find books that are not available locally.

Ok, back to the topic!  We recently acquired an iPad and I bought by first e-book on August 1 -- We Are All Weird by Seth Godin.  I read it in one sitting and my eyes didn't hurt (usual problem with reading from a screen.  Thank you, Apple, for retina display).  Now I am more open to reading e-books.  Save the trees!

I tried listening to an audiobook but I can't just sit still and listen.  I move around, do things while listening and then it just becomes background noise.  Audiobooks are not for me.

I read best at home in the evenings, specifically after Neil goes to bed.  I need a quiet environment to really get into reading and quiet happens only when the boy is asleep.=)  I still try to carry a book everywhere for unexpected downtimes but I just can't sustain the concentration when there are other things going on.

The 2nd Filipino Reader Conference will be held on August 18, 2012 at the Filipinas Heritage Library.  Click here for more details.