Author: Fives @ Down The Rabbit Hole

Aria @ Book Nook Bits is the new host for Let’s Talk Bookish! If you aren’t following her yet, good check out her blog and give her a follow!

 March 3: Book Stopping Places? (suggested by me!)

Prompts: Are you the type of reader able to stop reading just anywhere? In the middle of a sentence? Paragraph? Or do you need to reach the end of a chapter before stopping? What do you do if you can’t stop at a good point – do you have to go back right away to stop at a better place? Do you use bookmarks in a special way to remember where exactly you are? How uncomfortable does it make you to stop in the middle of an exciting part of the book, and how do you deal with that?

Welcome to another week here at LTB! Today’s topic was suggested by none other than yours truly. I thought about it one day and wondered, what does everyone else do regarding this? So I just had to submit it. Thanks to Aria for taking it up and posting it though!

I am usually not the type of reader to stop anywhere. Ideally I like to stop at the end of a chapter. Or at the very least at the end of a paragraph. Or if I’m desperate to leave at the end of a sentence. See the pattern here? I think one of the big problems about stopping randomly is that things usually take place in a chapter because it follows the same train of thought, idea, or general storyline; if you stop for too long and forget to come back, you basically have to re-read the whole chapter again lest you forget where you were. Unless you pick it back up quickly enough, of course.

I usually attempt to just keep going when I come back to the book. Usually, if it was just a quick break for something like an interrupting parent or pet, it really isn’t a big deal. I do recall having to read the same page a couple of times sometimes though, just to try and figure out what exact frame of mind I was in, and what exactly was happening to the story. Sometimes you just can’t choose when you are interrupted though, no matter how hard you try. And that’s just how it is.

I usually read books on my library app on my phone, so I don’t need to use bookmarks for that. But for physical books, I often will put the bookmark sideways to indicate which line I am on. Sounds smart right? Except that usually when I come back to it, I don’t remember which side I was referring to anyway (left page or right page), and even if I did, I don’t truly just start from the same line. Admitting this, I’m not even sure why I bookmark it that way—I usually just end up scanning or skimming the whole page anyway to find where I was.

Let’s just say…I don’t like being interrupted while reading. I like choosing where to stop, and deliberately putting it down. Not expecting to have to stop and being interrupted really interrupts the flow of a reading session. That being said, obviously sometimes it just can’t be helped. But the only real solution is, like many of you have said, is just to put it down and get right back to it as soon as possible. And that’s definitely the solution I go by too. No one likes leaving the book at the best part! I am already super guilty of needing to finish books despite my other obligations, and this is of course especially the case when I find the story riveting.

And that’s a wrap! Thanks for participating in my prompt everyone! Point me to your own answers in the comments and let’s see how you all take breaks in your reading! Do any of you have any special habits for stopping places?

Aria @ Book Nook Bits is the new host for Let’s Talk Bookish! If you aren’t following her yet, good check out her blog and give her a follow!

February 24: Are reading goals worth it? (Aria)

Prompts: We’re two months into 2023 – how are you feeling about your reading this year? Do you have a yearly reading goal? Do you think that those kinds of goals help you to feel motivated to read more books, or just causes stress? If you set yearly reading goals, when and why did you start setting them? Would you consider reading without aiming for a number? If you don’t set reading goals, why not?

Welcome back to another week of LTB here at DTRH, everyone! It’s already the end of February somehow, and the prompt today relates directly to that. Although it’s interesting, I’ve never really considered whether goals are worth it or not. Can’t wait to hear what you all have to say on this as well!

My reading this year so far has been decent I think. While not reading consistently, I have been able to slip in some reads here and there, which I think is all I can ask for at this busy juncture. I honestly can’t believe it’s been two months already, but it’s always nice to get some reading done during downtime or waiting periods. I definitely do have a reading goal this year, but I have set it pretty low, as to have more realistic expectations of how much time I actually have.

These goals don’t necessarily help me feel more motivated to read books, but certainly do not cause me stress. If I don’t have time, I just don’t have time. They are a good reminder of the fact that I always feel great finishing another book though, so in that way it does help me feel a little more motivated to put in some reading time where I can. If goals only stress you out, I’d definitely suggest modifying those goals or setting smaller piecemeal ones that won’t stress you out as much. Although perhaps some of you read well under stress…?

I’ve set yearly reading goals (more publicly) for more than a few years now, when I got more involved on the blog. I think it’s something nice to keep track of, and I feel like no matter what number I reach, I’d be pretty proud of it, and at least happy to keep track of what books I have read so that I can suggest content to others. I definitely read no matter whether I have a goal or not, and I suspect many of us in the community would too. However, it’s still good to have a goal or at least a tracker to see how far you’ve come along on your reading journey. Sometimes the reminder of your goal serves more to remind you to read once in a while, rather than about actually finishing the goal or reaching a checkpoint.

For those of you who specifically choose not to put reading goals, do you still keep track of the books you have read somewhere? If you do have reading goals, are they worth it to you? Let me know in the comments below!