Do you read, and how?

I wanted to make a topic to talk about reading.

I was wondering who here is into reading and what kind of reading do you do?

Fiction and non-fiction, I read them both. I like reading articles, as well as full books. I’m always seeking out new ideas and intellectually stimulating topics, and I read fiction from a variety of genres.

My mind tends to wander. In cases where I’ve tried audiobooks, I tend to switch off, making it easy to lose my place. So I tend to stick with reading books rather than listening to them.

Currently I read books on a Kobo Aura 2nd Edition. I’ve found that I read more on an e-reader than if I have physical books, although I still like to occasionally read an physical book. There’s nothing quite like the feel and smell of a physical book, but the compact form of an e-readers is a lot more convenient from carrying around a number of books at once and also less tiring to hold for longer books.

Occasionally I will read on my phone, but the backlit screen isn’t great for long sessions (especially before sleep). While waiting for a train it’s fine, and I don’t mind the smaller screen size. Smartphones are good for reading shorter articles, especially those with embedded media which would be in black and white on an e-reader. I hear some people read on their iPads full time, but I don’t think I could do that unless I read a lot less.

I read mostly fiction and preferably at the moment, science fiction. I’ve read all of the main Dune series by Frank Herbert. And I mostly enjoyed his first 3 books the most: Dune, Dune Messiah, and Children of Dune. Although, I did like God Emperor of Dune, but after that I think Dune went in the wrong direction; into something that wasn’t feeling like Dune any more; also Frank Herbert lost his wife during this time. (and I will never read Brian Herbert’s Dune books, just not the same). The most recent book I read was Philip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep.

Aside from Science fiction, I started getting into esoteric books such as: A Dweller on Two Planets or the Divided Way by Frederick S. Oliver (A supposedly true account of Atlantis!) I think this is the most important if not the #1 esoteric book you must read! Or at least give a chance…whether it’s true or not.

The author claims it was written or “channeled” through automatic writing and that he himself was not actually the true author! Whether you believe this to be true or not, it speaks of an actual past life account of what it was really like to live during the time of Atlantis! I highly recommend everyone read this at least once (especially if you are interested in the truth about our hidden history or ancient civilizations in general).

Considering the time in which it was written, 1883, there are things discussed in this book of which the author could not possibly have knowledge about! (The science behind the energy used in levitation machines, cell phones, Television, and the complete outline of the fundamental laws the people lived by!) Everything is described with such clarity of detail, the hairs started to stand up on my arm! It really opened my mind to the real possibility of past lives!

Anyways, when I read I usually do it on my phone with an eReader called UB Reader. If I’m not using that it’s most likely the Play Book app with whatever I downloaded from the Google Play Store.

I really want to get a Nook Glowlight Plus. Why that vs a Kindle device? I can root the Nook, install Gmail and some other useful apps, and it supports epub so I can strip DRM and use all my ebooks easily. This is a pending purchase for reading my programming, electronics, and other books.

When it comes to how I prefer to read, I may always prefer to own a hardcover. Every book I read, digital or otherwise, that I really like, I almost always try to find a hardcover version in as close to new condition as possible. I am a book collector and I doubt that will ever change. There are use cases though when I am not at home where an ereader would be a great supplemental way of reading my books on the go or at night when putting my daughters to bed, or reading in bed, etc.

As for the type of books I read. I read a lot of genres, but primarily fanstasy, sci-fi, horror. I do enjoy some non-fiction books relating to science and astronomy off an on. My favorite book series is the Dark Tower series (and damn them for that ridiculous movie). Anything by King or Lois Bujold McMaster I can’t miss. Too many other fantasy authors I have read to name. Recently re-read Summer of Night by Dan Simmons and still love that one. Currently reading Twelve Kings of Sharakhai by Bradley Beaulieu and enjoying that. Other recent reads include the Mistborn series and a re-read the Riftwar series by Feist (and have to say it doesn’t hold up to my memory of them as a kid). The real reason I love King or Bujold are that they write believable interesting characters and seem to understand how to write interactions well. Romance isn’t forced, dialog isn’t cheesy. They tend to be easy reads, even their longer works.

The way I read my books most of the time is physical copies and occasionally e-books. One recommendation I would highly recommend everyone to use is to make use of your public library. Many people forget that it’s a free resource and no one seems to take advantage of it. Many time I wanted to read a book and my library always seems to have it. Even new books that have not come out yet, I simply requested them to get the book I want to read, and then on the day of release they have it, and all I do is I need to go and check it out. The library also provides e-books.

The type of books I enjoy reading the most are fiction, more specifically fantasy and science-fiction. By far my favorite books to read are by the author R. A. Salvatore who writes books for Dungeons and Dragons. His main books follow the character of Drizzt Do’Urden. I have read 24 out of the 30 books that follow this character. It’s been a few years but funny enough I stared reading the books about this character again just last week.

Other series I follow would be books related to video games. Such as books about the Halo and Gears of War games. One thing I like is that multiple people write books for a shared universe as with D&D. Other books that I read include things more personal to me such as religious and cultural related topics.

I also read quite a bit of manga, but I’m not sure if you want me to make some recommendations here, or possibly in a new thread?

Reading on my phone is difficult as I have a pretty small screen phone. Probably for the best as my eyesight is getting worse as I get older. I used to have 18/20 vision in both eyes. Now about 20/20 in one and 22/20 in the other. Probably will need reading glasses in a few years. As a programmer, I also spend a lot of time looking at screens. One of the e-ink e-readers with difussed lighting is probably better for my eyes vs. a backlit phone. I also like the Kobos, but think a rooted nook would be a bit more handy to have.

Maybe a new topic?

I think I’ve probably mentioned these two in a number of topics already, but when it comes to fiction, The Lord of the Rings and A Song of Ice and Fire are my favourite books. Another book I enjoyed was The Lies of Locke Lamora (to a lesser extent it’s sequels). Panzer Dragoon fans should definitely read Hothouse, a novel that inspired the series and features many similarities. Young adult fiction such as The Hunger Games and Tomorrow When the War Began series appeal to me when presented in a mature way. I try to read the classics too; 1984 is one of the most important novels I’ve ever read.

I have not read the Dune series, but those books are on my list. I imagine the Dune series will appeal, as I like rich, detailed alternative worlds to immerse myself in. I haven’t read The Dark Tower either, so that might be another series to try. I read the first three Halo books a while back and enjoyed the first one (The Fall of Reach), but probably won’t read the others are I prefer to read fiction that isn’t set in another media’s universe, along with having a clear beginning, middle, and end.