Have you ever had a long period in your adult life when you stopped reading books?

[Sirtel]

For whatever reason (health issues, family concerns, lack of interest, lack of time and so on). By a long period I mean at least a year, not days/weeks/months (as most people have probably had those).

This is something I've read in several posts here, but never experienced myself. For as long as I remember, I've always read books. At most there have been a couple of days I didn't read, but not longer. But then I've lived a quiet life and have no family or kids.

[John F]

I'm going to say yes, as far as I can remember. I probably binged, once in a while, but I probably went over a year without reading a book.

Since I starting ebooks with a Sony 505, I usually read at least 40 books a year.

[Bookstooge]

I have not gone that long. I think the longest for me was probably a month. I've realized reading is my main hobby and I just enjoy it. How I read or what I read has changed over the decades, but I still do read.

[maddz]

I think I went about a year during lock-down where the only books I read were old favourites even though I was buying new. I spent more time updating and cross-referencing catalogues than I did reading. I'm not sure why that was so; possibly because of work pressures (I'm a data analyst in a public health department), possibly because of working from home (I could read nearly 2 hours a day on my commute if I had a seat on the train).

[pdurrant]

I doubt that there's been a whole week since I could read that I haven't been reading a book.

There probably aren't that many days, come to that. I have actual data from the Kindle app that I've only missed one day in the past five and a half years (since 19 Feb 2029, to be precise!)

I've never had a "slump" where I just didn't want to read.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

I've never had a "slump" where I just didn't want to read.

Yes, I haven't either. I couldn't even imagine a situation where I just wouldn't want to read for longer than a couple of days (not meaning an inability to read due to trauma or illness). But it seems it's not uncommon, going by various posts here.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by maddz

I think I went about a year during lock-down where the only books I read were old favourites even though I was buying new.

But you still did read, even if they were re-reads, didn't you? You had at least some interest in reading left.

[j.p.s]

My book and magazine reading plummeted to near 0 after I finished school. I didn't really start reading books again until decades later when I got my first ereader in 2009. I started reading paper books from the library from time to time during the covid shutdown since having to carry the book around wasn't an issue.

[cfrizz]

Nope, I have always read. If not books it was magazines, then fan fic, after that came ebooks starting in 2009. In the fourth grade I told a teacher that I was bored, she told me to go read a book, I've been reading ever since.

[ownedbycats]

The closest for me was the year following my traumatic brain injury; what few books I did read were almost exclusively children's books.

[maddz]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

But you still did read, even if they were re-reads, didn't you? You had at least some interest in reading left.

Oh, yes, I did read but only books I knew well or were comfort reads. I didn't have the energy to focus on new books even though I was still buying them. I also read very little compared to pre-lockdown; maybe 1 book a fortnight from around 2-3 a week.

Let's put it this way: in the past week, I was binge reading Patricia Finney/PF Chisholm's historical mysteries, 12 novels and 3 novellas (the James Enys series & the Sir Robert Carey series). There's another 3 (the David Becket series), although I probably won't bother. During lockdown, I might have managed the 2 James Enys books... The reason? I had 2 new books in both series, and needed to refresh my memory to write a review.

[DNSB]

I can't remember a time when I haven't read at least part of a book every day since I first learned to read. During the COVID lockdown, I probably read more than any other time since I was not commuting to work which added a couple of hours to my available time and purchasing books online was safer.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

The closest for me was the year following my traumatic brain injury; what few books I did read were almost exclusively children's books.

Ouch.

But there's still a bright side: at least you could still read and retained your intelligence level (I'm guessing the latter from your posts here). Not everyone who has had a brain injury does, unfortunately. There is a man living in the same apartment house as I do, who was a well-known actor in his youth; after he got beaten up one night about 30 years ago, coming from a pub and of course drunk, he was reduced to the level of a small child for the rest of his life. A sad story.

But yeah, brain injuries suck, even if not quite that serious.

[Apache]

I have never gone even a full day without reading since I picked up my first book.
If I have even a few minutes available, I will read.
Apache

[Andanzas]

I only read four books the year my second son was born. (I might have read some comics as well, but I didn't write them down).