It was SO much fun to read the comment section on my last bookish question post, so I thought I’d conjure up some more questions for my fellow readers!
Here goes!
DO YOU “HAVE” TO STOP AT THE END OF A CHAPTER?
I know I’m legally permitted to close a book whenever I please.
And yet…
Stopping in the middle of a chapter feels WRONG. I like reaching a natural break before turning off the light, which is all well and good until I discover the next chapter is 50 pages long. (That’s one thing I really like about using my Kobo since I know at a glance how far I have to go.)
Short chapters make me so happy!
Every once in a while I am just too exhausted to keep going (or I’m reading and get interrupted and have to put the book down), but as much as I’m able I am FINISHING THAT CHAPTER!
HOW DO YOU CHOOSE WHAT TO READ NEXT?
Usually, the library decides for me!
Whatever hold arrives at the library tends to jump to the top of my TBR pile.
Other times, I pick whichever book seems most compelling in the moment. (Or the shortest if I’m low on time.) And other times I just feel specifically like reading fiction or non-fiction, so that automatically narrows down my options depending on what’s available on my holds list from those two categories
DO YOU PREFER STAND-ALONE BOOKS OR A SERIES?
Generally, I prefer stand-alone books.
On the other hand, when I genuinely love a set of characters, it’s pretty awesome to return to their world. There was something comforting about starting a new Harry Potter book and knowing I was going back to Hogwarts with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. I’m currently working through the Percy Jackson series with my son.
Speaking of kids’ series, we LOVED the Boxcar Children books and while it was a series… each book stood alone, which I really appreciated.
DO READING GOALS MOTIVATE YOU?
I keep track of what I read (via Goodreads) because I write monthly reading recaps, but I’m not especially motivated by reaching a specific numerical target.
And I don’t have any set number of fiction/non-fiction quota’s for the year!
Your turn! Answer one question or tackle all four:
- Do you have to stop at the end of a chapter?
- How do you choose what to read next?
- Do you prefer stand-alone books or a series?
- Do reading goals motivate you—or stress you out?
Clearly, there is still plenty of water left in this particular well…
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Such interesting questions. I read mostly literary fiction, some historical, very little nonfiction b/c I read it as a job.
Do you have to stop at the end of a chapter? – Yes, whenever possible. I think of it as reading it the way the author intended.
How do you choose what to read next? – A mix of the library hold lottery, what I’ve purchased, and sometimes whim.
Do you prefer stand-alone books or a series? – Standalone although I’m anxiously awaiting the 5th Calculation of Volume, and am working through a Scottish historical series (but waiting for kindle sale b/c the print text is so tiny). I love Louise Penny’s series. T and I LOVED Percy Jackson, and How to Train Your Dragon.
Do reading goals motivate you—or stress you out? I reliably read 100-150 books a year so I’m never stressed. I am trying to read more backlist this year, and am doing alright – 35% pre-2010 according to Storygraph. I am vulnerable to the new and shiny though, and love the book zeitgeist.
I don’t think I’ve ever thought of it as “reading as the author intended” – subconsciously, yes, but never overtly. This is so wise and interesting for me to ponder.
Hold lottery! That’s exactly what it feels like.
The second book of the Percy Jackson series just came in yesterday!!
That’s… a lot of books in a year!
Oh yes! Stopping in the middle of a chapter does seem wrong, I listen to audiobooks so stopping at the end of a chapter makes it easier to start listening again.
I use the library app so I always work my way through what I have had reserved but I do have a long list of books that I could just start whenever.
I think the only series of books I have read are the Harry Potter ones and my girls loved the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books.
I have a reading goal on GoodReads and I am 1 book of reaching it and should by the end of next week! It has motivated me but I must add a higher goal next year.
Good point about the audio books and ending on a chapter end.
Congrats on the reading goal! I also use Goodreads and it’s arbitrary and I don’t really care about the number and hit it every year. I only set one because I’m prompted to do so!
Definitely standalone novels for me – I think Nancy Drew may have been my last book series, and that wasn’t yesterday! And I’m with you on the library choosing my next book – when a popular, requested title comes in for me, I download it and start reading, especially since they typically have long waitlists.
Oh Nancy Drew. That takes me back to such a happy reading place…
I will often stop at the end of a chapter, but not always. Actually, maybe not even often, now that I think about it. I’m rereading Commonwealth right now and the chapters are super long. I guess I stop reading when I have to do something else. I don’t really read series much, and usually it’s a library hold situation as to what I’m reading next. I don’t really have reading goals either, although my bar is a book a week.
So funny, my Monday post is a book talk post! Stay tuned!
I cannot WAIT to hear all about your take on all things books on Monday. I’ll be there with bells on, as my dad would say.
A book a week sounds like a wonderful rhythm (though I suspect your rate is higher than that based on how many books you seem to finish?)
Do you have to stop at the end of a chapter?
I don’t have a problem stopping in the middle of a chapter, and sometimes I want to catch my breath about what I’m reading. When I was a kid, my mother would try to get me to put my book down (for meals or bedtime) by telling me to stop at the end of the chapter. This did not work with Nancy Drew books, which seemed to have a cliffhanger at the end of every chapter!
How do you choose what to read next? Mood. No plan at all. Getting a new book, or a library book, can prompt me, but sometimes even that doesn’t fit what I feel like reading.
Do you prefer stand-alone books or a series? I enjoy both for different reasons. There can be a sense of completion from a standalone, but if I love the characters, I enjoy seeing more of them, and how they develop over time.
Do reading goals motivate you—or stress you out? No goals! I do like to track how much I read, but no goals at all.
Yes to cliffhangers! My mom would read Bobbsey Twins to me and I hated when she would finish a chapter because they’d ALWAYS be a cliffhanger and it drove me to distraction to have to wait to find out what happened.
Agreed about it’s fun to track, but I don’t want or need reading goals. I love reading enough to be self-motivated! And, I don’t want it to feel like a chore. I like reading for fun and I feel like that naturally ebbs and flows in terms of the rate of books I’m consuming and the type (fiction vs. non-fiction).
Great questions, Elisabeth. I mostly read before bed, so keep going to the end of the chapter… unless I can’t keep my eyes open another minute 🙂
That’s my biggest issue at night! I force myself to read to the end of the chapter and then it leaves things at a critical point and I feel obligated to finish THE NEXT chapter and then I stay up way too late.
Ooh! Books!!! Let’s see here… I definitely like to stop at the end of a chapter, or at least a break in the chapter.
I’m a mood reader, so I’ll usually ave several books out of the library at a time, plus some that I own but haven’t read yet, and when I finish my current book I’ll pick up whatever I’m in the mood for at that moment. The exception would be if it’s a popular book I’ve just gotten from the library, and I know the nex person is eagerly anticipating it, I’ll prioritize that one.
I love a good series! And, I have a goal to read 75 books this year, but it’s more for fun than motivation. I’m pretty sure I would read the same amount if I didn’t have that goal.
I’m the same about reading for fun and not really needing a goal!
I feel like I’m also a mood reader; for me that typically gets divided into fiction vs. non-fiction, not necessarily a subcategory within a specific genre.
Do you have to stop at the end of a chapter? – No, because what stops me reading is something like my coffee/lunch break is over, I am too tired to continue when I read at night in bed, I have an errand to run etc.
How do you choose what to read next? – I do not want to read the same type of story back-to-back. I keep a list of books I know I want to read and then see if it’s available at the library. I do have library holds but I don’t want to be inundated with a pile of books all coming in at the same time so I keep that number low.
Do you prefer stand-alone books or a series? – Stand-alone mostly. I did love the Harry Potter series and Sue Grafton’s mystery alphabet series.
Do reading goals motivate you—or stress you out? – Neither. I read purely for pleasure and don’t keep track of what I’ve read or write reviews on any platforms like Good Reads.
Thanks, Elisabeth for another fun round of book questions!
I struggle with the nothing-to-read vs. ALL MY HOLDS COMING IN AT ONCE conundrum. I try to balance how many things I have on hold, but just have to accept there is no way to perfect the system.
It’s a bottomless well, which is good because there are a lot of thirsty people drinking out of it!
I prefer to stop at the end of a chapter, but I don’t sweat it when it’s not possible. I do most of my reading before bed, so my stop time is dictated by when I get sleepy, which might be in the middle of a chapter. Some books have very long chapters.
My next book is either the one that I most want to read next, or chosen by the Libby Hold Lottery;-)
Most of the time I prefer stand alone books, but there are exceptions to the rule. Little House and so many detective series are some examples that come to mind.
My thing about reading goals is that there has to be a “why” behind them. When I was a kid, our library would have summer reading contests where there would be a prize for reading 10 books, and that’s a great why. As an adult I just want to read what I want when I want to read it, and I read a lot so it wouldn’t add anything to the experience to chase numbers.
“It’s a bottomless well, which is good because there are a lot of thirsty people drinking out of it!” Friend, you come up with the wittiest things to say.
YES to summer reading prizes. We used to have some awesome ones at our local library, but they’re not very impressive anymore and so much is done online which has taken a lot of fun out of the situation.
Do you have to stop at the end of a chapter?: Yes, usually — even if my eyes are closing and me head is nodding, I try to make it to the end!
How do you choose what to read next? I like the hold lottery phrasing! I like to keep a nonfiction, mystery, and literary fiction in the hopper at all times, but that’s pretty flexible. If I’m obsessed with a series, I’ll burn through the whole series; if life is heavy or attention span is short, more mysteries; and I also like to read seasonally, like books set in summer in summer, Christmas theme books in December, etc.
Do you prefer stand-alone books or a series? Both!
Do reading goals motivate you—or stress you out? I have a vague goal of reading 100 books a year. I track my reading in a journal with dates, title, author, and a few thoughts with the idea that one day my children will read it and remember me.
I love the idea of a reading journal. There’s a book I read about a man who tracked all the books he read over MANY decades and it was so sweet. (Or maybe it wasn’t a book… just an article? Either way, there were pictures of entries from his journal and it was truly inspirational!)
Ooh! Bookish questions! I’m here for it!
Do you have to stop at the end of a chapter? Ideally, I stop at the end of the chapter but I will keep reading if I finish the chapter and it’s not my self-imposed bedtime of 10:30pm and I have the energy to keep going. I prefer to stop at a break, like a line between paragraphs but not all books are formatted that way, so I will also stop when a chapter ends with a complete sentence. I read to Paul for 10-15 minutes so when the timer goes off, we read until we get to a page that ends with a complete sentence. But last night I read 7 more pages and still did not come to a page that ended with a complete sentence so I told Paul we were going to have to remember where on the page I left off because he needed to get ready for bed.
How do you choose what to read next? This is entirely set by the library. The exception is that I make sure a book club book is available to me in time to read it before book club, ideally no earlier than a month before book club as I like it to be somewhat fresh in my mind. Otherwise, I’m reliant on when eBooks become available in Libby. I love that I can defer books if I am not ready to read them. I aim to have 3-4 books checked out at a time as I know I can get through them before they are due.
Do you prefer stand-alone books or a series? I prefer standalone books in general, but the types of books I’m drawn to (predominantly literary fiction) tend to be stand alone books. I do enjoy reading series to my kids, though, as then we always know what book to read next!
Do reading goals motivate you—or stress you out? I do not set reading goals. I don’t want to target a certain number of books/year because that might lead me to gamify my reading. But I do not need anything to motivate me to read. Reading is part of every single day of my life – both for me and my young kids since I still read to both of them. It’s a non-negotiable and brings me so much joy!
I love that you obey your bedtime. I am so bad at this, Lisa. SO BAD. I blew threw exhaustion a few times this week to keep reading and I knew it wasn’t wise and could not help myself. ARGH!
Agreed that series are fun with kids!!
Also agreed that I never have to schedule in reading. It happens almost every single day without me having to make any conscious decisions about it.
Do you have to stop at the end of a chapter? No. I read constantly if I have even just 2-3 minutes to read, so I read what I can read. I’ve been known to stop in the middle of a particularly long-winded sentence if I have to. I also listen to audiobooks a lot and if I’m in the car and I get to my destination, I just stop wherever I am. If I had to read to the end of a chapter, it would really limit the times I could read and I’m not putting up obstacles into my own reading.
How do you choose what to read next? Whatever whimsy and the library holds give to me.
Do you prefer stand-alone books or a series? I LOVE a good series. LOVE it.
Do reading goals motivate you—or stress you out? I have no stress when it comes to reading. None. (Okay, well, sometimes managing my library holds IS stressful.) It is my pleasure and joy and happy place. Goals and challenges are mostly to make me read more broadly and not only read romance novels.
I am trying to think if I have ever stopped in the middle of a sentence. I can’t imagine doing that!!!
“It is my pleasure and joy and happy place.” Love this <3
OMG, this is where I confess that I don’t always even finish a sentence when I stop reading. If I’m listening to a book, I just stop when I have to, like dinner is ready or I’m interrupted or I realize I’m not focusing and need to do something else. Generally my physical book reading is in bed, and I fall asleep pretty quickly. So I read until I can’t focus and I have to repeat sentences, then I give up and close my book. Let me tell you, it’s a ridiculous system and makes diving back in kind of confusing sometimes. CLEARLY NOT WHAT THE AUTHOR INTENDED. Sigh.
I’m not really into series, I always feel like I’ve forgotten something important. An exception would be when none of them are new and I read one after another, that’s better. Still not my favorite.
I don’t track my reading, other than (usually) writing blog recaps. So I don’t care if I read 3 books a year or 300. OK, not true. The only times I’ve only read a few books a year is when I’m really depressed, like after my dad died. There are times when I’m more motivated to read than others, of course. Also, when my mom died I read a LOT. So who knows is what I’m saying about that.
As to what to read next, I have a big pile next to my bed, and for listening I just listen to whatever comes in next on my library hold.
I think what an author wants more than anything is for people to read and appreciate their books and you most certainly do that!
I think it’s natural for reading to ebb and flow and to have some ties to our current emotional life. Reading is there to support us how we need it in the moment and so I think it’s telling that grief manifested in different ways in your reading life.
Oh, I love book questions ! I tend to read before bed so I read until I fall asleep – I’m pretty good at remembering where in the story I was. I just finished project hail Mary, and wow, quite blown away by it!
The year before last I felt like I was in a reading rut, so I have myself the challenge to read 10 new books that year. I managed easily (thank you Percy Jackson) and I’ve since realised that what’s stopping me is having the books I want for my kobo. So I’m trialling kobo+ and it’s great! It’s slightly more expensive than the library, but a lot cheaper than buying all those books.
Due to my challenge I also decided to keep track of all the new books I read. It’s fun to see! I sometimes add stars and some thoughts if I feel like it.
Series – yes, if done well. It’s fun to see whether the author decides to go in the direction you would too.
Project Hail Mary was so good!!
Before we left for Europe I considered investing in Kobo+ but never took the leap (and actually ended up making out well with Libby holds), but I AM curious and remain open to pursuing it another time!
I try my darnedest to finish a chapter before I shut that book. It doesn’t always work out though. I also generally let the library guide what I will be reading next; IF I’ve remembered to put books on hold. If I haven’t I just wander the stacks and look for interesting titles. I usually prefer stand alone books (HP being a big exception, obviously). But I recently read a book that was so compelling, that when I realized it was the first of a trilogy, I immediately placed a hold for the other two books – which I also enjoyed immensely. I do not track my reading at all. Which, considering how many times I’ve re-read books on accident; maybe I should.
I so rarely wander the stacks these days and I… kind of miss the serendipity. But I am Queen of the Holds!!!
Hooray for a good series.
I’ve tracked my reading for about 10ish years now, but sometimes I re-order a book I DNF’d (which I don’t track) and then think: wait a minute, this feels familiar! And almost always I DNF it for a second time.
Do you have to stop at the end of a chapter? Not always. Especially if it’s an audiobook – then I usually just stop when I get home (since I’m often commuting..) But then when I pick back up on an audiobook I will sometimes go back a minute or two to remind myself where I was. Some books I stop at the end of the chapter because they are more challenging and my goal is usually to read one chapter a day. But if it’s a more “fun” read, often I’ll read until I have to move on to something else. (or I fall asleep.)
How do you choose what to read next? Often depends on my mood. I have so many books “suspended” on Libby that I can usually unsuspend whichever one matches my mood and it will come through in a few days.
Do you prefer stand-alone books or a series? I prefer stand alone. I don’t like feeling like there’s more story out there that I have to get to.
Do reading goals motivate you—or stress you out? I used to set goals for the number of books I wanted to read, but then I realized that was not a good metric for me because I wanted to also read long books as well as short books. So now I try to focus on the amount of time I spend reading rather than trying to hit a target number of books. I have goals about when I want to reading to fit in my life. If I don’t hit those targets, I know something is off – sometimes that’s okay and is just the season, but sometimes it means that I’m not being mindful of my time.
Good point: I just finished Gone with the Wind and it’s like 3 normal-length books!
I think it’s great to have goals for when to fit in reading! I know a lot of people try to read first thing in the morning and again at night. I’m primarily a night reader, though I can see that changing as the kids get even older??? Maybe I’ll be an afternoon reader in retirement? Time will tell!
Do you have to stop at the end of a chapter? No; I generally prefer to stop when there is a gap in the middle of a chapter.
How do you choose what to read next? I usually think about what I feel like reading and then do a google search, or look to see if my favourite author has written anything new. I read things new to me for my book group, which is good as it gets me out of my comfort reading zone. Sometimes I go to the library and see if anything catches my eye!
Do you prefer stand-alone books or a series? Stand-alone, although it’s fun reading book by authors who have Easter eggs for other books they’ve written.
Do reading goals motivate you—or stress you out? I don’t set reading goals; I just read as much or as little as I want. I read a lot in general so don’t feel the need to track it or to set a number for motivation.
Ohhh! I think you’re the first person to have a clear preference of stopping before the end.
I think a lot of people that set reading goals are struggling to read as much as they’d like to. For people who read regularly for pleasure, I think the need to set a goal tends to be less motivating.
I often have a quirky approach to things 😉 I find if I stop mid-chapter I tend to remember better at which point I am in the story. And, if I’m tired the next evening, I can just finish the chapter!
I stop reading when I realize that I remember nothing from the previous page or paragraph, or when I can’t see from yawning so much.
I always resist a series, often because I don’t trust that the library will have the books available or if they do have them, they won’t appear in the proper order. But once I begin a series, I love it (Sue Grafton’s alphabet, the Yada Yada Prayer Group, and of course the Boxcar Children) and feel completely bereft when it comes to an end.
Setting goals transforms something from pleasure to project, and then I feel obligated, and then I feel rebellious.
If I have a stack of books from the library, it can be hard to choose which to read next. If I have nothing available, I’ll go through the TBR on GoodReads and order as many as I have the patience to find from the library. Their website doesn’t work on my laptop anymore, so there is much going back and forth on the laptop and the phone, so it isn’t as much fun as it used to be to order books. If a book is new or has other holds on it, it moves to the front of the line.
That’s a “tell” for me, too. When I can’t remember what I just read, I TRY to take that as a signal to put down the book. But I blow past tired cues too often for the sake of books.
Agreed about it being frustrating to try to get a series in the right order! Especially if you’re waiting for library holds. And I’m generally too cheap to buy the books.
Also, YES: goals can often transform something from pleasure into a project. For things I’m dreading, I think it’s often the reverse. Instead of just feeling like a project, it injects some pleasure into it. But for reading, I don’t really enjoy goals because it’s already full of pleasure for me.
Yesss… I love your bookish questions! I’m putting up something similar this week, but I didn’t come up with the questions lol.
Do you have to stop at the end of a chapter? It depends if it’s an audiobook or written word. For audiobooks, no. I just stop whenever I need to turn it off for whatever reason. For print/ebooks, I will usually try to stop at the end of the chapter. Sometimes I may stop at a page break if the chapter is super long, but generally, I want to read to the next chapter.
How do you choose what to read next? I have a very complicated process but I am NOT a mood reader and go by a very strict TBR, lol.
Do you prefer stand-alone books or a series? Usually standalone, but I read a lot of romance and those tend to be series.
Do reading goals motivate you—or stress you out? I love setting reading goals! Even though I don’t really NEED to, I just find it fun to think of reading goals like my self-directed Unread Shelf Challenge or trying to read four 500+ page books in a year.
I am DEFINITELY a mood + holds reader. Sometimes I just am not feeling the vibe of what I have and in that case… I just don’t read until I have something that really holds my fancy.