Since I'm still reading Inkspell I won't be doing the regular It's Monday, What Are You Reading meme, as it would pretty much be a copy of last week's entry (I do love Inkspell, though - you should really read the Inkheart trilogy by Cornelia Funke if you have the chance). So this week I thought I'd try Musing Mondays hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.This week's question is: Can you read amidst distractions? (tv, others talking, sporting events, etc)
The answer is that it depends. On the distraction, on the book I'm reading and on what's on my mind at the time. I usually don't have any problem reading where there are other people, like on a train or in a waiting room. If the book requires me to concentrate more than ususal I might find it harder to focus on reading and start listening to people talking (in the room, or on TV or radio) instead. If it's a book I really like and want to become absorbed in, I prefer it to be quiet around me so I will often wait to start reading until there are fewer distractions or none at all. I find I can listen to music while reading if it's in the same language as what I'm reading, but if the song playing is in a different language (say I'm reading a book in English and the song is Norwegian), I have to put the book down and listen to the song until it's finished. My brain can only think in one language at a time, lol. And finally if I have something on my mind, maybe something I'm struggling with at work or some personal issue, I may read the same page four times over and still not remember a single word, distractions or not. It's easier to shut out any noise and focus on reading if I'm not preoccupied with anything else.
But ultimately I prefer it to be quiet around me when I sit down to read. I'm an only child and spent a big portion of my childhood reading alone in my room, and I live by myself now, so I'm not really used to having distractions around me when I read (except for the Internet, but that's a whole other post).
So, how about you? Can you read amidst distractions?
2 comments:
I think I'm an expert at reading with distractions. Most of my book-time is during my commut to and from work on a crowded bus/train. But I guess for me, reading is the distraction because it pulls me away from the chaos around me! :)
I prefer the quiet. But, I will listen to soft music via headphones, to help me focus on the book more if there is alot of noise around. Here's mine.
Post a Comment