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  1. Man in the Box

    Man in the Box Active Member

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    Relearning to read

    Discussion in 'Discussion of Published Works' started by Man in the Box, Jul 2, 2013.

    It's basically a plea for suggestions on how to put myself into reading mood.

    I used to love spending hours reading a book, especially during school when they told us to read YA novels, those were the coolest. Nowadays, though, I'm a bit impatient and can't concentrate on reading a novel for more than 30 minutes to an hour. I'm too easily distracted. The feeling of immersion is there, I feel my imagination working, but my attention span became too short. Also there's so much out there in the market that I feel desperate that I can't finish a book quickly enough, especially when they're huge like GRRM's A Song of Ice and Fire.

    How should I cope with it? How to rediscover the pleasure of reading?
     
  2. GingerCoffee

    GingerCoffee Web Surfer Girl Contributor

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    Audio books, unabridged, while commuting. You can also get a little player that allows you to read the book while jogging or cleaning the house. Libraries are a good source since they can be expensive.
     
  3. Man in the Box

    Man in the Box Active Member

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    Audio books are a bit difficult to get here... They exist, but not the books I want to read, I think. Thanks for the suggestion, though.
     
  4. chicagoliz

    chicagoliz Contributor Contributor

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    What I have found is that you really have to cut yourself off from the internet. That's what's too distracting. If you have to, take a book (and no mobile device) to a coffee shop, library, park -- wherever you can sit and read undisturbed.
     
  5. thirdwind

    thirdwind Member Contest Administrator Reviewer Contributor

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    I don't see this as a problem. Reading 30 minutes at a time is perfectly fine. That's basically what I do.

    Don't worry about finishing a book quickly. Learn to enjoy the experience. Remember, it's quality over quantity.
     
  6. GingerCoffee

    GingerCoffee Web Surfer Girl Contributor

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    My Kindle will read to me. It's not the best though, the software isn't great. But you can also get regular audio books for devices like Kindles and tablets. I'd bet the options are more extensive than you think.

    For example, GRRM's A Song of Ice and Fire is in audio book format. I linked to the Google search because I don't want to link to a specific commercial source.
     
  7. Man in the Box

    Man in the Box Active Member

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    Thanks for help, everyone!

    GingerCoffee, I like your suggestion. But the audio books are in English... I'm well versed in the language, but English in literature tends to use words I'm not familiar with. I'd prefer to read or listen to something in my native language.

    I want to get a Kindle, it's in my list of things to own. :)
     
  8. GingerCoffee

    GingerCoffee Web Surfer Girl Contributor

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    I can relate. I speak some Spanish, not quite fluent but I can communicate. But when other people talk to me, I don't get to pick the vocabulary words. And it's even worse on the phone, or listening to TV, radio, and even music. Unless a person has been there, it's hard to imagine how big the small distortions on a recording can be.

    But do try searching for a Portuguese translated audio book before giving up. I get a lot of hits but can't read the Google page. :p
     

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