Top Ten Tuesday: Reading Habits

 This week's topic is how reading habits have changed over time. And oh, boy have they.

When I started this blog, 16 years ago, I mostly read YA books. Not too many middle grade books, but a few.  I barely read any picture books. I didn't read much romance. And all that has changed! 

I have talked about how my habits have changed over the years:

2011

2014

2019 (mostly still true today)

The trends over the last few years:

less YA

more romance

More board books and picture books

So far this year, I've read:

320 picture books and board books (which is kind of low to be honest)

190 children's fiction, middle grade, graphic novels, YA books, and adult books

I do tend to read books for work, but also books that I will enjoy.

I still read books for review (see my latest reviews for Fresh Fiction)

How has your reading habits changed over the years?

Top Ten Tuesday: Reading Life

This week's topic is all about changes in your reading lives.

This blog has been around for 11 years and in that time, I've gone through some different reading habits.

I guess the biggest one is that I read more adult books now. 

When I first started this blog, it was probably 75/25. It's now closer to 50/50.

The majority of my reading used to be teen books and while I still reading them, I also reading adult books.

For the adult books, I mostly read romance novels with some women's fiction thrown in from some favorite authors. I read romances before bed because the world is on fire and reading romance soothes me. Not to mentioned they're just good books.

Occasionally there are some cozies and some fantasy books.

I also read more picture books now - partly because they're fun reads and partly for my job.

How has your reading life changed over the years?

Reading Slacker

When I haven't finished a book in days, I feel like a reading slacker.

 I'm reading 4 books and I'm enjoying them. I read so many books at a time because I'm lazy. I have one book at work, one book downstairs in my house, one book upstairs in my house, and one book is for a program at work. 

I'm at the point where I'm close to finishing three of them. But I also have a GIANT stack of books waiting to be read. And several that I wanted to read immediately.

When I start feeling this way, I start getting grumpy until I can carve out some reading time, so that's what I'm going to do. Am I the only one who gets grumpy when I don't get enough reading time?

So this morning, instead of doing things I should be doing, I'm going to take a few minutes to read.

My Reading Habits

Last year, I noticed a change in my reading habits, I was reading more and more adult books. That's not a bad thing, but it made me curious. So I looked into what I read for this year...and the trend is continuing.

When I look at the books I put on hold at the library, it's the same. I wonder what the year end will look like...and if it will prove as similar as the first month of reading. 

How does your reading look? Do you read more adult or teen books?

BBAW: How Blogging has changed my reading habits

Book bloggers blog because we love reading. Has book blogging changed the way you read?

I have always love reading. I remember special days when I was little of going to the library and then the Laundromat with my Dad. I remember going to a different library - one that had my last name (no relation) on the building. I remember really reading through middle school and high school. In college, I mostly read during the summers only until my senior year. I took a children's literature course - where we had to read tons of books. I walked downtown to the public library and got a card. And then I checked out a bunch of adult and children's books. I wish I had done this all four years. I started graduate school the following year, reading my first teens books in years. I fell in love with teen literature.

Now, after being a librarian for eight years, and blogging in one form or another for most of that time, my reading habits have changed a bit.

I try to read more middle school reads, more tween reads, and more reads with boys as the main characters. Book blogging and reading other blogs have helped my see I need to be a little more diverse in my reading. I read mostly for pleasure - and I want to the books to be happy and entertaining. However, there are times I need to be aware of certain books and have a sound knowledge of them in order to chat about them with my patrons. Book bloggers are a GREAT resource for this. I don't have to read every book I purchase for teens. Where would I find the time? But it's great that I can know about them from reading blogs. Blog are also great for finding out about upcoming books. It makes my purchasing list so much easier.

My goal for this year is to read 365books - from all ages. As of this morning, I'm at 247 books. Thanks to GoodReads, I can keep track of the number with their reading challenge App. It tells me how many books I'm behind on my goal (that would be 10). I'm grateful for bloggers for introducing me to books, creating buzz around books, and pushing me to read books that I would not normally pick up.

Reading Meme

Reading Habits is a meme going around the blogosphere right now. So, of course, I had to do it.

Do you snack while you read? If so, favorite reading snack:
Only sure lunch - usually when I'm at work.

What is your favorite drink while reading?
Sometimes I'll drink hot chocolate or tea.

Do you tend to mark your books as you read, or does the idea of writing in books horrify you?
NO! - well, ok, only in college.

How do you keep your place while reading a book? Bookmark? Dog-ears? Laying the book flat open?
A bookmark - or what ever is closest to me.

Fiction, non-fiction, or both?
Fiction most of the time - so I can escape from my world. Rarely nonfiction - unless it's something of interest

Are you a person who tends to read to the end of a chapter, or can you stop anywhere?
I like the end of the chapter, but it's not always possible, especially for those authors who write cliff hanger chapters - then I sometimes read until I can breathe again.

Are you the type of person to throw a book across the room or on the floor if the author irritates you?
No, but I will make growling noises sometimes.

If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop and look it up right away?
I just ignore it and keep reading.

What are you currently reading?
The Next Best Thing (adult romance) and pages away from finishing Merlin's Harp. I'm about to start Disney In Shadow: Kingdom Keepers III

What is the last book you bought?
for myself: Cinderella Society and Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake

Are you the type of person that reads one book at a time, or can you read more than one?
Multiple - sometimes I have a work book, a downstairs book, and an upstairs book. Which can be a pain when I need to know what happens next and the book isn't right there.

Do you have a favorite time/place to read?
I can read anywhere. I usually have a book with me wherever I go, just in case.

Do you prefer series books or stand alones?
Either, although I love series books because there are characters I simply NEED to spend me time with.

Is there a specific book or author you find yourself recommending over and over?
Yes mostly as part of my job - YA Librarian and to other reader. In my job there's a lot of questions for what to read after (fill in the blank) - which is usually vampire or a paranormal read. But there's are a fair amount of books I always recommend and that changes frequently. Right now it's Forgive my Fins (once it comes out), Cinderella Society, Heist Society, anything by Maria V. Snyder, plus the staples: Hunger Games, Graceling, Eon, anything by Meg Cabot. I really could go on and on all day.

How do you organize your books? (by genre, title, author's last name, etc.)
At home, by categories and then my favorites. Some categories include: Fantasy, Jane Austen, childhood reads, mysteries, girly books. Usually I lend out so many books that my shelves are never complete.

What about you?