Reading. Why do you do it?? For fun? To learn?.......

[drjeff]

Just curious for the readers on AZ why you read? And i'm not talking about the instructions on how to make the bluetooth system in your helmet sync to your phone/iPod!

But when you get a chance to read, are you looking for a purely entertainment choice (book/magazine/etc)? Or are you looking for a more educatioal choice (book/magazine/journal/etc?

Personally while I DO enjoy a good Tom Clancy or Clive Cussler novel, I find myself more often these days grabbing a book or journal to try and learn something new (be it to help increase my knowledge base about my professional career or even just to try and improve myself as a person).

So what's everyone reading about???

 

[ScottySkis]

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I like non fiction books mostly.

 

[Nick]

Educational mostly for me ... I like photography books and tech books also. I rarely read fiction.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

 

[riverc0il]

Used to read mostly fiction for entertainment. But the sad fact is that most authors are terrible writers that write terrible stories and there is a lot of bland "read that before" stuff out there. I can't just keep digesting the same stuff over and over again. And I have limited interest in older literature because I find the writing styles usually not to my liking. Though, currently reading Candide and loving it, I don't know how that one escaped me for all these years. But that is philosophy in a fiction dust jacket. Thinking about rereading my favorite Vonnegut novels soon, haven't read any of his works in about ten years...

...though I did just read a biography of his. I definitely find myself reaching for non-fiction significantly more often than fiction. I keep wanting to read fiction, I keep looking at the current offerings in genres that I enjoy, and I keep moving past them to non-fiction titles. The last fiction book I started reading, I got halfway through and just never picked it up again.

 

[Hawkshot99]

I dont think I have read a entire book since college. All my reading is magazines and forums pretty much.

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[snoseek]

I like both.

Currently on the middle book of the passage trilogy (the twelve). Good stuff.

Big fan of almost everything Cormac Mccarthey, great writing style...so poetic, often dark and creative (unless you're a grammar nazi, in which case you'll be downright mad!).

I like to read older books too. Mostly because they paint a good portrait of history, even if it's fiction.

A good non-fiction book is great for filling my mind with usefull real life info. Alot of that can be read online too via boards like this or other sites like Huffington Post ect.....


I started reading (on my own time) way back when I was just a kid in the Navy out to sea. It killed time and brought me someplace else. I remember those first books, my sister sent them to me, she was always the smart kid. One was Walden, the other was On The Road. Those two books got me all the way across the Atlantic, to Spain and I was forever changed. I should probably thank her again.

 

[deadheadskier]

I find I rarely have time to read novels unless I'm on vacation.

Probably because I work full time and I am also a full time student in a Radiologic Technology program through North Shore Medical Center. So, I do a LOT of reading about anatomy, x-ray physics and hospital protocol these days.

 

[ski stef]

I read much more for entertainment. 18 Stephanie Plum books = crushed them in 4 weeks

Right now I'm reading Wild by Cheryl Strayed. A memoir about a girl who loses her mother at a young age and just picks up and decides to hike the PCT with absolutely no experience.

 

[Warp Daddy]

Mostly professional reading followed by biographies or history . i am also into vintage ski books both photographic and narratives of early days in skiing . Am a voracious reader always have been since early on . The Queen was a librarian so we still spend time in the college libraries in the region .

 

[Sky]

I used to read newsy mags. the I was into Discover mag for a while...a quick read on a plane, always interesting info. I've never found a trade mag I liked...maybe I don't like my trade. :>

I was reading a lot of history for a while...WWII stuff. 1941, Citizen Soldier, The Last Battle (then watched "Downfall"). Loved the "Don't know much about" books...American History, the Civil War...love the author's format! Also read the story of the USS Indianappolis...."Into Harm's Way" (which is also a title of a John Wayne movie I think)....excellent book!

Also read the "What If" books...minor tweaks to historical events, Midway...Battle of Salamis (Greek Navy beats the Persion Navy) etc. the author discusses what the impact would have been had the events gone the other way...how they "could" have gone the other way etc. Interesting stuff.

I've "listened" to some older classics...Wuthering Heights, On the Road.

Currently reading Steven King's Dark Tower series. I'm on book #6 of 7 (unless you include the 8th book which sort of fills some gaps between#4 and #5). I'm reading this on my Nook....which I never thought I'd enjoy. "why do I need an electronic book?" It has changed me completely (well...in how I consider "reading"). Super convenient! Especially with the back-light for reading when I go to bed.

Next on the list is more history....one about Lincoln and his cabinet (two presidential candidates that were very contentious). My boss said it was an amazing read.

 

[SKIQUATTRO]

dont read as much as i should or want to....thats the one and only thing i miss about commuting on the train...

non-fiction only: right now reading "Scratching the Horizon"

 

[ctenidae]

I read quite a bit, but find I don't actualy have time to readas much as I'd like. Reading on a Kindle helps, since I can read in bed without disturbing my wife. Always having the book available across devices is also nice.

I read a few magazines- Wired and a couple of car mags. I also read industry rags when I'm flying- most can be gotten through in less than an hour, so they fill the time during takeoff and landing when electronics are a no-no.

I have been reading the Aubry/Maturin series by Patrick O'Brien. Really good, but very long and absorbing reads. Plus, I have paper copes of all 20+ books, so my reading ability is limited to, ahem, private time in the morning and evenings, really. But, I'm 8 or nine books in (2400 pages or so, so far) and they're excellent. It's interesting how many things that are part of everyday life are descendet from the bRitish Navy.

 

[bvibert]

I don't read many books, but when I do it's a mix of fiction and non-fiction. I hardly ever pick up magazines anymore, though I do have a Powder subscription through Google Play to read on my Nexus 7. I should probably either start reading the issues or cancel the subscription.

Most of my "reading" in a given week is online articles or blogs, mostly on tech stuff.

 

[severine]

As an English literature major, I used to read A LOT. Hard to find the time now between working full time, commuting, family stuff, and my blog. I generally do book reviews once a month--getting a free book and a couple bucks are good incentives to make the time--and those will vary with what is available at the time to review. I've been reading more non-fiction lately than I used to. Starting to enjoy mysteries, too. Chick lit bores me. Too fluffy, no substance.

 

[ctenidae]

As an English literature major...Starting to enjoy mysteries, too.

You should check out Martha Grimes. You'll probably enjoy her style.

 

[Edd]

I used to read fiction when I was younger but something turned in my early thirties and I'm all non-fiction now, and nothing sophisticated. We're talking comedy books by Adam Corolla and Tina Fey. I read The Week magazine, Playboy, and a crapload of online news. I'm an insatiable TV viewer so that does not help with reading.

 

[Abubob]

I love reading about other peoples misfortune. Like - Perfect Storm, Into Thin Air, Into the Wild and In Harm's Way mentioned before. I also enjoyed Steel Wave (WWll was everybody's misfortune) but haven't read the other two book in that series. I also enjoy a good deal of fiction like the entire Master and Commander series. While that is roughly based on history its pure high seas "Treasure Island" like fiction. Right now I'm reading A Yankee in King Arthur's Court a thinly veiled social commentary and satire of the day.

 

[ScottySkis]

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I forgot about my favorite author for sure is Hunter Thompson, I love all his books.

 

[crank]

I read a lot both non fiction and fiction. Most of the fiction I read is historical fiction. I also read a fair amount of history. and have been reading a lot of geo political stuff over the past few years mostly about Afghanistan and Al Queda. Interestingly, I just finished a book called The Operators about the last 3 generals in command of our troops in Afghanistan ending with Pattreus basically being offered the CIA directorship as a way to ease him out of the top position in Afghanistan. According to the author, he would have been either forced to retire or relieved of command but was offered CIA as a way out.

 

[darent]

I read much more for entertainment. 18 Stephanie Plum books = crushed them in 4 weeks

Right now I'm reading Wild by Cheryl Strayed. A memoir about a girl who loses her mother at a young age and just picks up and decides to hike the PCT with absolutely no experience.

stef- just finished that book, intersting story,what a undertaking on the not thought out level! wife had book from her book club.