As an adult, I rarely read for enjoyment.
I read magazines and blogs and nonfiction books. My intent is to gain information and usually, I prefer my answers quickly versus eloquently.
There. I said it.
It seems sacreligious to “out” myself as an Anti- reader when I am a teacher and an aspiring writer.
Maybe it’s all the reading that I did in college or frequent research as a teacher. Maybe it’s the fact that I was in the “turtle” reading group as a kid. Let’s be honest, everyone knows what it means to be in the “turtle” group. For me, reading takes effort and time and concentration.
My parents were voracious readers when I was growing up. Piles of books were brought home from the library each Saturday and stacked around the house. Often, they had multiple books that they were consuming at the same time.
Boring, I thought. Until recently.
My son didn’t claim himself as a reader. He can read, very well actually, but it hasn’t been a favorite pastime.
Surprisingly, this was disappointing. Although I am not a voracious reader like my parents, I wished this for my son.
He reads to find out information, but I wanted him to see the value in a book that could challenge his imagination, take him to other places, and peak his curiosity.
It’s starting.
Maybe it’s the fact that we are homeschooling so he can read during the day or he isn’t as exhausted now, but he is enjoying the act of reading for fun.
We have caught him reading on the couch, in his room, even in the car.
If there is a choice, he’ll still pick computers; however, I’m pleased to say that I have seen a good book distract him away from technology longer than his mandatory break.
I have to say that now, as a homeschooling mama and part-time teacher, I have enjoyed reading books with my son now, more than ever.
Maybe now, I have more brain power that allows me to get lost in someone else’s story than always being preoccupied with my own.
My Twice Baked Potato 
The incredible power of a mama brain. 🙂 Glad your slower pace has let you enjoy books more.
I’ve always been a passionate and advanced reader but not for what other people thought I should. I never really moved on to “grown up” books except for non fiction on practical topics. I’ll read a garden book or parenting book because I need the information. But mostly? I read children’s literature (or kiddie lit as my mom the elementary teacher calls it). And I mostly read the same books over and over. I have read Understood Betsy over a dozen times, most recently last year. Silently, to myself, not just because I was reading to my child. My aunts and uncles often send me deep, thoughtful grown up books (I come from a family of readers) but I pass them on to someone else and wait for the books by sister gets me… She feeds me a steady diet of fairy tale rewrites but reads them all for me first to make sure they aren’t too scary. At this point I don’t read fiction unless I’ve read it before or she screens it for me first. Reading should be pleasurable and I like the light stuff.
My husband loves to listen to anything I read aloud (kiddie lit or garden/parenting/relationship books) but I don’t think has ever read an entire book himself. It’s just too hard for him to focus. But if I read aloud, he’ll listen for hours.
I love the “idea” of getting lost in books all Sunday long, but that hasn’t been for me. I am pleasantly surprised that my son is transforming into a more active reader.
I think you’ll find yourself reading more soon too. It may take 6 months; don’t rush it, but with peace comes …..well, peaceful reading.
No money to buy books anymore, but the library visits happen several times a week these days!
Finding ourselves at the library more and more for homeschool. My son goes through books do quickly, we have to check them out 🙂 Right now we are really enjoying the Fablehaven series.
I have always been a leisure reader, and often have more than one book going at a time (one fiction, one recipes/health/psychology). When the boys were young, I stopped that in favor of sleep and reading childcare books. Now that they are older, I’m back to reading for fun, and I can’t imagine being without it. I spend PLENTY of time reading articles and such online, but I always read before bed and occasionally during the day, stretched out in the recliner. The kids read before bed as well, and often in the mornings before we do schoolwork.
I’m excited that there could be more leisure reading creeping into our home 🙂
I don’t read as much fiction as I used to (no time!!) but I do really love it so much. My son so far is not a huge fan but I’m hoping that changes as he learns to read. Right now, we’re working on letters…
Letters…perfect! It will come in time 🙂
I am starting to enjoy more and more fiction.
Nice to hear your son is enjoying books/stories these days. My son enjoys reading non-fiction but my hope is one day he’ll find a book that will take him somewhere else. I so enjoyed reading fiction books as a kid, especially books series that made me feel like the story would never end…
We are having fun with series too. We read the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series before reading Gregor the Overlander and Artemis Fowl books.
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