As a kid, I had the tendency to “read” books upside down.
I just wanted to be upfront about that just in case you’re wondering what my bookworm origins are. It’s safe to say I’ve picked up more practical reading habits and since my step into adulthood, I’ve had the opportunity to be exposed to a diverse range of literature.
🌺 Related Post: Five Ways I’ve Changed As A Reader Because of Blogging
Anyway, this week’s Top Ten Tuesday is about the changes in our reading life. Off the top of my head, I wanted to mention that I now have the finances to actually make my own book choices but in reality, that’s a scary change. Like, wow, the weight of choosing one anticipated read over another is heavy, friends.
Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.
PICKING UP NON FICTION
This habit is recently new to me. I’ve always stuck to the genres that I was familiar with or simply relied on classics to fill up my days. Besides my penchant for true crime documentaries and the news, I wasn’t educating myself as much as I wanted to. It actually took my sister delving into non-fiction with A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson that got me interested in the genre.
BORROWING FROM THE LIBRARY
To be fair, I had never had access to a library that provided the kind of literature I’m interested in. When I moved to Australia, the first on my list was to visit the public library and well…I WAS LIKE A PUPPY AT DAY CARE!
It was like a weight lifting off of my shoulder. Any bookworm would tell you that our hobby is an expensive one, not to mention the finances I spend on blogging. So when I finally got the library card, it wasn’t just joy that I felt but relief. Knowing that I had access to a library made me feel a lot less anxious about having access to ARCs. I also now have the opportunity to try books that I’m curious about but not interested in buying.
TAKING MY TIME WITH A BOOK
This is a hard habit to cultivate especially with the number of books on my TBR. The publishing industry is a beast, y’all, and I’m just not ready to ride that hurricane.
Personally, I considered it my bad habit – rushing through books without taking a moment to let the story sink in. Every book comes with its own themes, its own message, that when I read the book at its surface level, I miss out on the core of it.
Now, I allow myself to be late on my reading challenges, to set aside a book if I’m not enjoying it. It has also made me pickier with the books I chose which, in truth, isn’t bad at all because I’ve learned to let go of books that are harmful.
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Camillea Reads 
I recently started using the library a lot! Before I didn’t because the libraries close to me didn’t really have recent English books.. But this one does, and it makes me so happy!
(www.evelynreads.com)
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I use my library a ton. You’re right, it really does save so much money!
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I agree that taking your time with a book is a good habit. Especially when I am excited about a story I tend to read very fast. I used to be proud about the fact that I could read quite fast. But when I read slower and not finish it in one day, I actually have more time to enjoy and comprehend the book. This is indeed easier said than done… My TBR-list is huge!
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I’ve always been a slow reader and while the publishing industry jump full steam ahead with all their incredible new titles, I can’t and won’t even try to keep up.
The library is definitely a money saver!
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i’ve always gone back and forth with the library! i’m such a hoarder it’s difficult for me to give books back lol. but lately i’ve been borrowing more ebooks and i’ll always love library sales!
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I’ve done better this year setting books down that I’m not enjoying. I used to feel guilty, especially when they were ARCs, but I’m learning time is too precious for that. 🙂
Great post! Here’s my TTT for the week.
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I also started taking advantage of my library a lot more as an adult, which has really helped with my impulse need to buy everything that sounds interesting and then not ever get around to reading them. I am also so much better at DNFing when I am not enjoying a book – I never would when I was younger!
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I’ve also finally got into reading more non fiction! And I think taking your time with a book and going to the library are great habits to cultivate 😀
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