Reading habits (low intermediate+)

I used to think my reading habits were strange. I always have a few books next to my bed, and they are at different points of being read (yes, I made up the word "readness"). There are bookmarks and sticky notes sticking out of them. It looks messy. I have a small bookshelf that I made, and it fits next to my bed.

On this shelf, I keep about 30 books. Many of them have bookmarks in them because I’ve been reading them for a long time. Some of these books are very serious, like books about sad histories (a lot of history is about strong groups hurting weaker groups), books about health problems, sad poems, and books like that. These books are hard to read all at once, so I read them little by little.

I also have books with short stories, essays, language books to help me study, and novels. The novels are usually unread and waiting for my full attention. If I don’t like a novel, I quickly put it back on the shelf. Only the books I’m reading or have just finished stay near me.

I change the books on my shelf often. Sometimes I want to read something I see on another shelf, so I take that book and put it next to my bed. Sometimes, the book stays there for months before I read it, or I put it back without reading it.

I read during the day when I can, but I do most of my reading at night. When I go to bed, I pick a book from the shelf based on how I feel. I might read one chapter, or I might keep reading until I feel too tired. Sometimes I only read a few pages and then read something else. This way, I always have a few books that I’m reading at the same time, and I finish them slowly. There are always books to read.

For a long time, I thought my reading habits were messy and disorganised. When I was younger, I didn’t like to read. My sister and dad read a lot, but I liked watching movies more. I wasn’t one of those kids who read all the famous books by age 12. No, I had to teach myself to read because I thought it would be good for me, like exercise or eating vegetables. I made lists of the books I read and tried to read more each month. In my first year of reading, I read about one book a month. After a while, reading became a habit, and I felt bad if I didn’t read at least a little bit every day.

At first, I read one book at a time, from start to finish, and I made sure I understood every word. This is why I was so slow at reading. Now I read books in different ways, depending on what I want from them. I still give novels my full attention, but if I don’t like one after a chapter or two, I put it back on the shelf. For books I need to study, I read the introduction and conclusion first, then the main part if I need to know more. For long books, like history or art, I read one chapter at a time, then take a break for a while.

I also read magazines when I find something interesting, and I like reading books of poetry or magazines about books to see how good writers use language. I even have some science and philosophy books, hoping they will help me understand life better, but so far, they haven’t helped much.

So, my reading is a little bit messy, but it helps me learn a lot of different things. I’ve realised I’m not the only one who reads like this. Recently, I talked with two of my colleagues at the college where I work part-time. They both also read many books at the same time, depending on their mood. One of them even has a pile of books next to his bed.

We all agree that reading is important. It helps us learn more and avoid ignorance. Reading is a great way to get information, to think better, and to enjoy stories. It also helps with language.

My colleagues and I don’t all read the same things. One of them doesn’t like to read fiction, which I think is a little sad, and the other reads mostly fiction, which feels too limited to me. But we all read in our own way. We choose what we want to read, when we want to read, and where we want to read.

The most important thing is that we never skip a day of reading. And right now, it’s my turn to read – to enjoy a good book. It’s late, so I’m going to stop writing now, or I won’t have time to finish the short story I’m reading. Good night, and I hope you enjoy your own reading!