My Reading Process

When I sit down to read, I take quite a few things into consideration. If it is an assigned reading, I usually plan to read the entirety of it in one sitting. If it is a book of my own choosing, I won't want to put it down and am able to read for hours. I prefer a quiet, comfortable area, often times my couch, my bed, or a peaceful place in the library. My reading experience becomes most enjoyable with a cozy blanket and a warm latte. When deciding on what book to read, I am guilty of judging a book by its cover. I am drawn to bright, modern covers with a creative title. This isn't to say I won't give a book a chance even if I don't like the cover as much, however. I prefer romantic, easy reads that don't take much thought. Ones that tell a nice love story, and I can visualize it clearly. However, I occasionally crave mystery and suspense in the books I choose. As I read, I create my own little world, where I am taking part in the story at hand. It becomes an escape from reality, one that I wish to not be interrupted from. I cannot have music playing, the television on, or people talking while I read. I need to give the book my undivided attention and get distracted easily if other things are going on. I read the book chronologically, from beginning to end in order to comprehend the whole story the way it is supposed to be. I used to dread reading and never understood why people read books for plain fun. However, once I had more free time and found stories that interested me, reading became one of my pastimes. I liked how I could pick up any book and become a part of a story, learning about the characters, going through good times and hardships with them. By reading a book more than once, I found that I can experience completely different things or interpret it in a different way depending on what was occurring in my life or what I had experienced since the last time. As everyone's reading process is different, so is their reading experience. Not everyone is going to feel the same way about a character or relate to a situation the same. I am able to experience it on my own, in my own way. That is what I find most enjoyable about reading.