Wednesday, February 28, 2018

What (and how) are you reading? - by @MagdalenaScott


My eyes get weary from spending so much time staring at a screen. That's a common occurrence--not just for authors--but for many of us these days. If it's not a computer screen, it's the phone, right?

In order to give my eyes a break, I've recently started getting more reading done with my eyes closed, or staring into space. (If you see me staring into space, I might also be (1)planning my next novel, (2)wondering what was on my to-do list, or (3)trying not to fall off my stepper.)

I love listening to author-focused podcasts by Joanna Penn, Mark Coker, and Orna Ross. Although I could accomplish this with my phone and a headset while walking outdoors, I know myself well enough to realize that's a bad idea. (Yes, I'm that woman who could walk out in front of a car while focused on what's happening inside her head.)

I can however, get lots of good info from these wise folks while using my stepper indoors on rainy days. A few folks have asked if I have trouble balancing on the stepper. Answer: Not as long as I keep my eyes open. (See above.)

Last year I borrowed a CD-based audiobook from the library--Jojo Moyes's Paris for One. I hadn't listened to an audiobook in quite some time. I had thought I'd do it in the car back when I made more solo trips during a week. But my car stereo didn't like to play the chapters in the correct order. Call me crazy, but that just wasn't ideal for my enjoyment as a "reader."

These days, having an audiobook on my phone is a game changer. Through my public library's connection with Overdrive, I recently borrowed Dick Van Dyke's memoir, Keep Moving: And Other Tips and Truths About Aging. What fun to hear one of my favorite entertainers talk about his life, and his ruminations on the up-side of getting older! In spite of myself, while listening to his voice, I keep picturing the elderly banker he portrayed in the movie Mary Poppins.

I also read on my antiquated kindle e-reader. Looking at a lighted screen doesn't work for me near bedtime, but this old standby works just fine. My most recent read was a short story collection from the magnificent Maeve Binchy.

My bedtime book is always fiction, and it has to be happy fiction. Otherwise, I won't sleep well. Next up for bedtime is a hardback from the library--Jan Karon's To Be Where You Are, a Mitford novel. I'm looking forward to it. I haven't visited Mitford in several years!

What about you? Do you find that your reading habits have changed over time? Do you like audiobooks, podcasts, and/or ebooks, or prefer to hold a physical tome in your hands?

(Note: I also read books by my fellow Sweet Romance Reads authors, but didn't want to mention some and not everyone! Find all of our crew on the Authors Page.)


Try a romance novel on--for sighs!

USA Today Bestselling Author Magdalena Scott writes sweet romance and romantic women's fiction. A lifelong resident of Small Town America, she invites readers into her world to find out what’s hidden just below the surface of those tiny dots barely visible on the map. Romance, mystery, and the journey to be one's best self are all part of a day in her neighborhood. Readers have commented that they'd like to move to the imaginary towns Magdalena writes about, which she takes as high praise indeed.

Magdalena is a practicing minimalist, having downsized from a 3,000 square foot house to a studio apartment, where her Giant Closet continues to resist taming. When not writing at home, she loves to travel--carryon baggage only--and is always pleasantly surprised at the kindness of strangers.

Visit her website: http://magdalenascott.com


Be sure to sign up for the Sweet Romance Reads Newsletter here: http://www.subscribepage.com/k4n4e3

18 comments:

  1. As I work my way through cataracts & eye surgeries (4), I find myself using my phone or Kindle to read so that I can adjust the size. But it doesn’t help my insomnia! Reading has been a lifetime hobby & I hope it gets easier again.

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    1. Pam, I'm glad you are having a good experience with the eye surgeries, and hope you'll soon be reading more easily!

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    2. Pam, I had cataracts surgery last year and after all my life being able to see up close but not far, it was switched to being able to see far but not up close. Weird adjustment.

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  2. I can't listen to audio books. My mind wanders, and I lose track of the story. I mostly use the reader apps on my tablet to read. I still have physical books like the one I'm reading now and will be reading for a long, long time. My daughter gave me the biography of Alexander Hamilton on which the Broadway musical is based. It is looooong. It has 731 pages of actual biography and almost another 100 more pages of notes. And the print is very small. I'm on page 43. I have a long way to go.

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    1. Goodness, Merrillee--that Alexander Hamilton bio is a LOT of book! As for wandering attention, I had that with a self-help book that contained a lot of terminology that was new to me. If I listen to an audiobook at bedtime, I'm more likely to fall asleep. Sometimes that's not such a bad thing. ;)

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  3. I was reading a lot of Kindle books on my phone. (It is hard to resist FREE books!!!!) I am reading more actual books again now. The feel of a real book cannot be replaced. E-books are so easy for authors to provide for reviews. I will always be reading them, also.

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    1. It sounds like you're finding the right balance between "real" and "e" for you, Jennifer!

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  4. Magdalena,
    I love audiobooks! I always have one playing during my "free" time. Currently, I'm listening to a CD from my public library--Nora Roberts is hard to beat!

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  5. I can't listen to audiobooks. I tune out the audio. Even when I listen to the radio, it's for the noise not what is being sung or said.

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    1. Margaret, the way you are with audio is how I am with advertisements--on tv, radio, online, or in print. It's interesting how we can train our minds!

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  6. My ways have not changed and won't as i do only print as to being disbled i can't do others as keys are too small or i cant hold it in my hand and after i read i have for years reviewed on 2 sites so i am old and set in my ways . ptclayton2@aol.com

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    1. Thank you for commenting. What a shame the keys are too small! I can sure relate to being set in our ways. Many times there's no need to update, if updating doesn't mean an improvement!

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  7. Great post, Magdalena! I listen to informational podcasts, but I have difficulty with audio fiction as they never sound the way my mind thinks the character should be. I read both on my kindle and paper books just about every fiction genre as well as research material.

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    1. Thank you for your input, Alicia! Good point on having an idea of how a character should sound. That would sure make audiobooks a challenge.

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  8. My mind wanders too much to listen to audio books. While I wait for my grandson to get out of school, I read books on my phone. At home, I usually have a paperback close at hand.

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    1. Tina, thank you for your input! We're very fortunate to have options. I'll admit I'm glad I'm not the only one who has mind-wandering issues with audiobooks. ;)

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  9. I wish I could do audio books - but I'm too much of a visual learner. Five minutes into the audio, and my mind, too, starts to wander to the images in my head! I love my phone and Kindle, but nothing beats the feel and smell of a "real" book.

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