What exactly do you call "reading a book" ? - Page 7

Nyssa · 11-01-2011, 06:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sakura-panda

I thought this was going to be "is an audio book really reading?" question.

I don't read the promotional stuff -- praise for this book or some other book in the series -- and I don't very often read the acknowlegments. I don't read prefaces and afterwards that are basically thanks and appreciation. I think they should be there, but I only look at them if I am curious about something in particular. Prefaces and afterwards that are actually part of the story, but separated from the main body for one reason or another, I read.

I feel like I'm somewhere between "read every word" and "occasionally skip stuff". I think I need to vote for "occasionally skip stuff", although strangely, I *feel* like I read everything. I didn't realize I was skipping so much!

Heh. I agree with everything you said! I never thought of it that way. I did answer "Read every word", but I think you're right, I probably should have chosen "Occasionally Skip stuff".

BaenSidhe · 11-02-2011, 01:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by astra

Then why to read this book/author?

I voted that I skip occasionally. Sometimes it's just a line or two or a sex scene if I'm reading a romance. Other times, I might skip whole chapters. But most times (I think, lol) I read everything.

For the books I skip large sections in, I continue reading the author or book because I like the parts I do read. For example, in one or two of the later books in the Honor Harrington series (after Ashes of Victory) I did a search for Nimitz and treecat and only read those sections. Or Butcher's Furies series where I skipped the parts about Amara because I didn't like her but I love Tavi.

TCSimpson · 11-02-2011, 08:04 AM

I read every word.

Quexos · 11-02-2011, 01:59 PM

So far one can say that most people read most of any book. And yet many people manage to read huge amounts of books which is in my view, amazing.

GreenMonkey · 11-02-2011, 02:22 PM

I swear we had a discussion around here about this before.

I think the confusion about reading speed is from folks that read the most straightforward way (like a kid learns how to read). Like they read the words and hear them in their head, word by word. I haven't read like that since before I can remember so the concept is a little foreign to me. I really have to concentrate to read plays, poems, or old English because I can't "aborb" them the same way. I have to read the words and listen to the words to make sense of it - my speed slows down about 80% for that kind of material.

I absorb the book by the paragraph or so. I don't read the words and hear the words in my head. I just absorb the story into my brain - not the words so much, but the meaning and the events. I read about 2 pg/min (hardcover). On my Nook that's more like 4-5 "pages"/min.

I know I'm reading the words because my reading is very sensitive to typos, mispellings and missing punctuation (I bookmark them on my Nook to correct later in Sigil or something...if I get the time). My comprehension (on how much I can repeat back to you) is fantastic on dialog and story details. I do good on history tests too

but I find I tend to miss some of the descriptive detail from time to time (or at least, it doesn't stick in my memory for very long).

Quexos · 11-02-2011, 02:42 PM

I don't understand, what do you mean when you say you absorb the paragraph but you don't read the words ?
Your eyes must stop on words to decode the meaning of every one of them. How can you look at a paragraph and understand it without looking at its words?

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreenMonkey

I absorb the book by the paragraph or so. I don't read the words and hear the words in my head. I just absorb the story into my brain - not the words so much, but the meaning and the events. I read about 2 pg/min (hardcover). On my Nook that's more like 4-5 "pages"/min.

Apache · 11-02-2011, 03:37 PM

When I read fiction I do not see the pages in front of me or even the world around me. I am watching a movie in my head. I see the characters and hear their dialogue.
Apache

Ravensknight · 11-02-2011, 06:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreenMonkey

I swear we had a discussion around here about this before.

We have. Quexo's brought it up earlier this year. And they pretty much reacted like how they just did to your post, but with a bit less class...

Barbara1955 · 11-02-2011, 07:17 PM

I skip the Sex parts! Otherwise I read the Whole book! When Listening to a AudioBook I Hate the Abridged versions UGH!

kennyc · 11-02-2011, 07:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreenMonkey

..
I think the confusion about reading speed is from folks that read the most straightforward way (like a kid learns how to read). Like they read the words and hear them in their head, word by word. I haven't read like that since before I can remember so the concept is a little foreign to me.....
I know I'm reading the words because my reading is very sensitive to typos, mispellings and missing punctuation ....but I find I tend to miss some of the descriptive detail from time to time (or at least, it doesn't stick in my memory for very long).

Hmmmm.......(my avatar says) seems like you have been able to subconsciously process the grunt work of the reading. Damn I wish I could do that....I guess I sort of do if I push the speed reading method, but that's not my normal reading and I do tend to miss a lot (or at least feel like I do) when I read fast (skim-really).

Harmon · 11-02-2011, 07:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quexos

I don't understand, what do you mean when you say you absorb the paragraph but you don't read the words ?
Your eyes must stop on words to decode the meaning of every one of them. How can you look at a paragraph and understand it without looking at its words?

In teh smae way taht you can raed tihs snetnece. You don't look at each speraete ltteer to decdoe the wrod. You see the wohle wrod and konw waht it is.

It's a bloody nuisance to type that way, though, in part because of the same thing - you don't think the letters as you type, you just type out the words you are thinking.

For my part, I tend to read groups of words. I might read all of the groups in the first & second sentence of a paragraph, then skim over the rest, diving in if I see an indication that there's a thought I can't infer from the combination of the first sentence(s) and the remaining words sticking out from the paragraph.

But I don't employ the same methodology at all times, not even within the same book or chapter. I lean toward skimming when I am attending to the narrative flow, and slow down to word for word when I'm enjoying the way the sentence or paragraph is constructed. When what I'm reading is an argument, I fast forward to the next paragraph when I grasp where the currrent one is going. I can tell from the next paragraph whether I've gone offtrack in the first one.

eugeneL · 11-03-2011, 02:42 AM

Haha nice thread!

kennyc · 11-03-2011, 06:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eugeneL

Haha nice thread!

Did you read it all or skim?

Welcome to MR!

jj2me · 11-03-2011, 10:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RDaneel54

I think audio books are books that just go into my brain differently.

I used to think that too, until recently I went through all my ebooks looking for a book I was sure I had visually read, from the visualizations I had of its content. Turns out I had "read" it in audiobook form.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jadon

As much as print, yes, though I find there's a greater likelihood of zoning out while listening to an audiobook, so it paradoxically requires more concentration.

I've found that true for the first half-hour to hour of a long drive. After that, it's amazing how little your mind drifts. It's like you've finished sorting out all your daily problems and mind detritus by then.

Audiobooks are also a nice companion for mindless tasks, like most periodic housecleaning tasks.

simplyparticular · 11-03-2011, 12:39 PM

It depends on the book. Fiction, I only count it as "read" if I read the whole book. I give up on books if I'm still engaged by the characters or stories about 1./3 of the way in. I feel I've given the author enough of a chance to reel my in by that point. If not, there are plenty of other books on my TBR pile.

Nonfiction varies greatly. Historical books I generally read cover to cover, including footnotes, appendices, etc. Career, business or financial books I tend to skim for the main arguments - it seems that more and more of these books are padding the content with repetitiveness. Memoirs and autobiographies are a bit more like fiction - if the author can't engage me (or outright annoys me) with their OWN life story in 1/3 of the book, I'm gone.

View Poll Results: How thorough are you when reading any book ?
I read every words, sentence, page, chapter of every book, no exception	175	65.30%
I read most stuff on any given book, skip some stuff occasionally	92	34.33%
I can skip pages, sometimes chapters if I don't want to read it all	1	0.37%
I barely read any full chapter, Just getting the general idea of the plot is enough for me	0	0%
Voters: 268. You may not vote on this poll

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11-02-2011, 08:04 AM	#93
TCSimpson Fantasy Author Posts: 176 Karma: 1356782 Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: New York City Device: Nexus Tablet	I read every word.

11-02-2011, 01:59 PM	#94
Quexos Member Retired Posts: 1,999 Karma: 11348924 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Limbo Device: none	So far one can say that most people read most of any book. And yet many people manage to read huge amounts of books which is in my view, amazing.

11-02-2011, 02:22 PM	#95
GreenMonkey DRM hater Posts: 945 Karma: 2066176 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Michigan Device: Nook ST glow, Kindle Voyage	I swear we had a discussion around here about this before. I think the confusion about reading speed is from folks that read the most straightforward way (like a kid learns how to read). Like they read the words and hear them in their head, word by word. I haven't read like that since before I can remember so the concept is a little foreign to me. I really have to concentrate to read plays, poems, or old English because I can't "aborb" them the same way. I have to read the words and listen to the words to make sense of it - my speed slows down about 80% for that kind of material. I absorb the book by the paragraph or so. I don't read the words and hear the words in my head. I just absorb the story into my brain - not the words so much, but the meaning and the events. I read about 2 pg/min (hardcover). On my Nook that's more like 4-5 "pages"/min. I know I'm reading the words because my reading is very sensitive to typos, mispellings and missing punctuation (I bookmark them on my Nook to correct later in Sigil or something...if I get the time). My comprehension (on how much I can repeat back to you) is fantastic on dialog and story details. I do good on history tests too but I find I tend to miss some of the descriptive detail from time to time (or at least, it doesn't stick in my memory for very long).

11-02-2011, 03:37 PM	#97
Apache Readaholic Posts: 5,306 Karma: 90981752 Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: South Georgia Device: Surface Pro 6 / Galaxy Tab A 8"	When I read fiction I do not see the pages in front of me or even the world around me. I am watching a movie in my head. I see the characters and hear their dialogue. Apache

11-02-2011, 07:17 PM	#99
Barbara1955 Non-Techy Posts: 4,455 Karma: 15499273 Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: WV---USA Device: Samsung Cell Phone & Amazon Fires & Kobo eReaders	I skip the Sex parts! Otherwise I read the Whole book! When Listening to a AudioBook I Hate the Abridged versions UGH!

11-03-2011, 02:42 AM	#102
eugeneL Junior Member Posts: 7 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2011 Location: Califronia Device: none	Haha nice thread!

11-03-2011, 12:39 PM	#105
simplyparticular Guru Posts: 610 Karma: 1395952 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: New York Device: Oasis 3 & GlowLight 4	It depends on the book. Fiction, I only count it as "read" if I read the whole book. I give up on books if I'm still engaged by the characters or stories about 1./3 of the way in. I feel I've given the author enough of a chance to reel my in by that point. If not, there are plenty of other books on my TBR pile. Nonfiction varies greatly. Historical books I generally read cover to cover, including footnotes, appendices, etc. Career, business or financial books I tend to skim for the main arguments - it seems that more and more of these books are padding the content with repetitiveness. Memoirs and autobiographies are a bit more like fiction - if the author can't engage me (or outright annoys me) with their OWN life story in 1/3 of the book, I'm gone.