
Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl
Hello everyone! Today’s prompt is about how my reading habits have changed through the years. I am not sure I will get to ten but we will see how I do!
First, probably the biggest change of all – the number of books I read a week. Before I had Wyatt, I could read 2 or 3 books a week. Now I am lucky if I can read 1! I would spend whole weekends reading all day sometimes.
Second, the amount of books I would buy for myself has changed as well since before and after motherhood. Now I buy way more books for Wyatt, and maybe one a month for myself. I always used the library like crazy, but now the majority of the books that I read come from the library first. Then if I love it I buy it or add it to my wishlist. I used to buy a lot more books for myself a month. I don’t mind though honestly, I feel like now when I do buy a book I appreciate it more.

What I read has changed through the years too. I used to read more fantasy, romantasy , historical fiction, and horror, while now I read more thriller, mystery, and middle grade. I still read every the other genres that I used to, but just less of those and more of others. I feel like I cycle through phases of reading and what I like to read. Does everyone do this?
Hmm what else..
Oh! I used to read right before bed, sometimes for hours. I can’t do that now, I will just fall asleep immediately!

I still take a book with me wherever I go – now though I usually have my book and Wyatt’s book too. He loves books just as much as I do.
I also listen to audiobooks occasionally now, which I never really did. I like to listen while I stitch or clean.
I have also started annotating and highlighting and underlining in my books. I have my little setup next to my bed, and have a highlighter and one of my favorite fine point cat pens in my purse, along with some book tag things for when I am out as well. I like to match the stickers to the cover too.

I loan my books out more freely now too. Before they were all my precious and now I feel like passing them on so others can read them is more important to me.
And I think that is it! How have your reading habits changed?
I definitely read less since becoming a mother – but I also read with Henry, so I guess it sort of evens out!
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Yes, that is a good point! I read with Wyatt – I will count that too.
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Oh cool, color coordinated stickers!
https://wordsandpeace.com/2024/10/22/my-top-10-reading-habit-shifts/
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I like a theme. Lol.
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I love that you’ve passed your love of reading to Wyatt. I remember when my son was young and wishing I had an hour to myself to read. Audiobooks make it easier IMO. Here’s my TTT: https://bonniereadsandwrites.com/2024/10/22/top-ten-tuesday-how-my-reading-habits-have-changed-over-time/comment-page-1/#comment-10023
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Lol yes! I love reading with Wyatt, I love that he loves reading, but yeah..I could yes a little extra time to read. Lol. Audiobooks are definitely helping!
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Yes, I cycle through genres, too!
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Oh good!! I am glad it is not just me!
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I read outside a lot. I tend to fall asleep in my chair indoors lol
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That is a good idea!
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Those are fun pens! I imagine my reading would plummet if I became a dad, especially given the needs of newborns!
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I love those little cat pens! Lol.
It is wild how much your free time plummets once you have kids! Lol. Newborns sleep a lot though so there is that.
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I love what you say about appreciate books more now. 🙂 That’s so true. I go through periods where I don’t buy any books and some where I buy TOO many. But when I don’t buy them, I also appreciate the ones I do own more and enjoy browsing my shelves. 🙂 Thanks so much for visiting my list!
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Yes! I used to buy them so much, just too many, and I think that I didn’t appreciate them then like I do now. Little treasures on my shelf now!
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I seem to read less now that I’m retired. I guess it’s because when I was working I would read during my lunch break. Also, I didn’t have blogging and other computer interests that kept me away from reading.
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That is a good point! I used to do that as well, and now I am not working out of the home at a traditional job. I didn’t think about that!
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I definitely read in cycles, re: genres! Its partially seasonal, I think, and partially just what else is going on in life. When things are hard, I want cozy comfort but also I want fierce female assassins kicking butt, lol 🙂
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Also: those cat pens!!!! 😻😻😻
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Aren’t they so cute!
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Yes, I am the same way!! Definitely seasonal. and then sometimes I want something cozy, but then sometimes I want to be scared!! Lol.
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Most of the books I read are also from the library, I only buy authors I already know I like, new books at a discount, and second hand books.
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That is sort of how I am. I have a list of authors I know I love and will probably want to own, but sometimes I even wait on buying those, especially if it is a sequel because I can be so weird about sequels. I do like to thrift books as well!
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I don’t think my habits have changed much either but with the invention of audio books at my fingertips I do listen to more of them now. Prior to homeschooling I don’t remember using audiobooks at all!
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Did you ever use them in your homeschool? I am considering having Wyatt and I listen to one of his books for school to change things up.
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ALL the time! My boys and I were on the go quite a bit so we listened to lots of audiobooks while driving. We listened to all the Boxcar Children books, the whole Narnia series, the How to Train Your Dragon books, the Magic Treehouse series, all the Rick Riordan books when they were older, etc..
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Thank you!! I will try it for sure!
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I also used to read a lot at night and I don’t anymore! I will listen to a bit of an audiobook but my days of being up until the early hours reading are well over haha. I definitely prefer to read in the day time now.
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Yes, sadly reading until the wee hours are definitely over for me now. Lol. I read during the day now whenever I find some spare time!
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I used to read four or five books all at the same time. One would be in the bedroom, one in the dining room, one in the living room, one in the bathroom, and one at school. Now, I’m lucky if I finish a book in a couple of weeks. My attention span has withered away for some reason. I have never enjoyed being read to (except for when I was little and my mom read to me) so I don’t know if I’d like audio books. I think my attention would wander. My kids are all readers, too. I’m so glad of that.
https://marshainthemiddle.com/
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Oh my gosh!! I did this too and I had forgotten about it! I had a book for work, a book for the morning, a book for at night. Maybe you just have more interests now? Or have more time for more interests?
Audiobooks are hit or miss with me. Some I like, some I fall asleep to. I do best with nonfiction or romance in audiobook form.
And I feel so proud of myself that Wyatt loves books as much as I do!!
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I CANNOT write in books, even non-fiction ones. I actually prefer reading NF on my Kindle so I can highlight things without marring my paper books.
Happy TTT!
Susan
http://www.blogginboutbooks.com
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Lol! I understand! There are two types of readers I think – those who keep their books pristine, and then readers like me, who will write in them, etc.
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Highlighting and annotating books sounds fun! I do want to get into that but since I do mostly read library books, I obviously cannot XD
This was a fun list!
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Lol! Yes that would probably be frowned upon!
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My reading dropped to probably near zero when my daughters were young, except for kids books I read to them. Thanks for visiting my blog.
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It’s good to know that I am not the only one!
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I feel the same way about audiobooks, I never thought I’d listen to an audiobook, but I don’t mind them as much now, and am actually trying to listen to more. I don’t have a library card yet, but I’m looking into getting one for the same reason, so I can read new books and then decide whether I like them enough to buy them 🙂 It was fun to read about your habits!
If you’d like to visit, here’s my TTT: https://thebooklorefairy.blogspot.com/2024/10/top-ten-tuesday-new-reading-habits.html
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Thank you! And we use our library for so much!
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I definitely go through phases where I just want to read all the (insert type) books at a time, and then I burn out and have to pick a new topic to obsess over. I hope you have a great weekend and thanks for visiting my blog earlier this week.
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Thanks goodness it is not just me!
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I love the that you pass along your books. It is a wonderful gift!
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I really need a little free library!
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I don’t seem to have as much time to read but yet I still buy a ton of books.
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It is hard not to!!
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I love annotations in books! It’s like a story within a story! I sometimes go out of my way to buy second hand books that have been annotated, I love them so much!
Haze
https://thebookhaze.com/
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