What are you NOT reading?, Anyone out there who doesn't read books? Options

[Dhyana]

The header of this topic is inspired by the lively and interesting ongoing discussion on What are you reading? Each time I read new texts where our members share book tips and recent literary discoveries, I realize with a start that I have nothing to share! I do not read. Anybody else out there like me?

It's embarrassing. My both parents are Polish language and literature teachers. I have always loved reading. Ate encyclopaedias for breakfast when I was ten. I could finish a novel at one or two sittings, school libraries quickly ran out of stuff to lend me, and so on. Even now I am a reading junkie, for example if I eat alone, I need to be reading something: a newspaper, or whatever is at hand, like "instructions of use" leaflets for technical appliances.

But since ISKCON, I rarely ever read novels. I read academic and professional literature, self-help / counseling books, in general: nonfiction. Almost nothing of what is called belles lettres (what is the English term?). I don't know what happened. There is a resistance in me to wrapping my mind around a new world in a book.

I read newspapers and magazines, for example photo magazines, my hobby. I read professional literature as time allows. I choose titles myself, not only what is required. But to get a new book, a novel or a biography, or poetry, just for the pleasure of reading or for broadening my horizons -- I do not know when I did it last. Long ago.

I occasionally read chick lit, like Harlequins Sometimes when I feel tired and "low" on my way home from work, I buy one and read it on the train. That's more or less the level my mind enjoys, with the additional fun I can poke at the naivete of the plots...

If any of you have a similar approach to reading, please share. Maybe I will feel less embarrassed then...

[Preyobrazhenya]

My son says books are so passe, since there is now DVD and Cable. The only thing he reads are sports magazines, occasionally hip hop rags, and he has a self-improvement book authored by Basketball Great Bill Russell: "Russell Rules" for reading in the throne room. That is about all he reads.

Everyone has their own method of escape.

Usually the only fiction I ever read is sci-fi or historical fiction. Occasionally I like a thriller. Mostly I read non-fiction stuff.

[zanardi]

My reading habits are largely dependent on my state of mind. I dig functional reading. What ever works and tastes good at that particular time, me like. Gotta get one of these Harlequins! Harley queens?

[ePiTau]

The last thing "literature" I ever read were the confabulated works of Madhva, in Sanskrit. It is basically purana porridge, with an occasional pinch of nyaya. That's also more than a year back now. Since then it has mainly been technical literature. Reference books for programming languages and scripts: JavaScript, PHP, ActionScript, Lingo, SQL. Handbooks on XML, XSLT, XHTML, AJAX, MySQL and CSS. I read lots of this stuff and find it moderately entertaining. The only thing close to literature that I presently read is "Steal this Computer Book 4.0" by Wallace Wang. This is a book about hackers and hacking, phreakers and phreaking, crackers and cracking, and so on from all aspects and angles. I read that when I get tired of the other five or so titles that I read during programming breaks. It's fun, but not earthshattering.

[rhapsodieff]

I read mostly non-fiction. Love history and enjoy some biographies.

I find fiction or faction like the Da Vinci Code too predictable and boring.

Most fiction I cannot relate to anyway. Either the use of language is contrived and old fashioned as in the "great classics" or it is unimaginative and ordinary with nothing new or interesting to say.

Some science fiction, horror and fantasy stuff does it for me though, but more rarely as lately the ideas seem stale and repetitive.

I guess I am getting old -

[Kalisurfer]

About the only thing I don’t read (unless I have to) are technical manuals, advertisements and long dry religious tracts! My past reading habits relate to those of you that do not like to read much fiction, for many years I also had no desire to enter the fabricated world created by another human mind. Strange thing is, the older that I became after years of seeking the absolute truth in spiritual writings, I found a great love for fiction. I do not consider good fiction an escape, contrary… it is the creative human narrative based on experiences in life that collides with imagination; that when well done, can move a soul to a better understanding of the self and the mysteries of life and death and all the things in between. There is escapist fiction out there and it does serve its purpose, but there is also great literature…new and old, that reach heights of great art through the use of words, thoughts and experience intermixed in a storyline narrative that could represent anyone of our lives—interacting within world and spirit.

When I hear about kids not liking to read, it seems like such a waste of potential with a sense of foreboding toward a future full of impatient people too dependent on televised corporate communication for information. TV, movies and the Internet have their purpose and strengths, but you want to tell the read-less youth that anything good on TV, film, Internet and music started with the written word. The interactive quality of eyes and hands on a page, with the resulting mental work of putting a story together mentally and imagining it visually in the mind is a practice worthy of pursuance. It helps balance a person; it helps creativity and focus while also teaching patience. Lastly, reading helps one to write, and those who cannot write well have some big limitations to deal with in life. I am trying to envision a future world full of adults who have a hard time filling out a job application form, and whose knowledge, decisions and worldview are based on the televised 15-second sound byte….hhmmmm…sounds like a good story line for a book with a sad tragic ending!

[Chanahari]

Although I never wrote on the "What are you reading?" thread, this doesn't mean that I don't read. On the other hand, I often re-read books, reprocess them.

I used to read very little fiction; since I left the six letter sampradaya, I do it much more than before, although non-fiction is still the bigger part of my read material. Maybe I feel the lack of the artificial world that surrounded me?

The only books I don't read are those that I should read for my university courses, pornography and those very modern (or postmodern, or whatever else do the literary buffs call those) ones in which my narrow mind can't find the substance.

[Tapati]

Although I'm pretty much a reading addict, I found that even when Westerns were once all I had available I just couldn't maintain an interest in one. Even the best authors leave me cold. Maybe I got burned out by too many tv Westerns when I was growing up.

[Kalisurfer]

But since ISKCON, I rarely ever read novels. I read academic and professional literature, self-help / counseling books, in general: nonfiction. Almost nothing of what is called belles lettres (what is the English term?). I don't know what happened. There is a resistance in me to wrapping my mind around a new world in a book. the naivete of the plots...

If any of you have a similar approach to reading, please share. Maybe I will feel less embarrassed then...

I was listening to an old interview of filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock yesterday and was surprised to learn that he did not like to read fiction! His favorite reading material was biographies… this from the master of fictional suspense. So Dhyana, your in good company, plus don’t you also like to take bird photos….hmmm…and you also work with people whose life are full of suspense!!! Hmmm…now it’s beginning to all make some sense…, you better stay away from small seaport communities with lots of seagulls and crows!

[zanardi]

Brutally honest biographies are great! Microhistory is great! Better than fiction!

[Preyobrazhenya]

I couldn't agree more, Kalisurfer. If only I could make my son understand this. The scary thing is that someday these people will have to lead the world.

When I hear about kids not liking to read, it seems like such a waste of potential with a sense of foreboding toward a future full of impatient people too dependent on televised corporate communication for information. TV, movies and the Internet have their purpose and strengths, but you want to tell the read-less youth that anything good on TV, film, Internet and music started with the written word.  The interactive quality of eyes and hands on a page, with the resulting mental work of putting a story together mentally and imagining it visually in the mind is a practice worthy of pursuance. It helps balance a person; it helps creativity and focus while also teaching patience. Lastly, reading helps one to write, and those who cannot write well have some big limitations to deal with in life. I am trying to envision a future world full of adults who have a hard time filling out a job application form, and whose knowledge, decisions and worldview are based on the televised 15-second sound byte….hhmmmm…sounds like a good story line for a book with a sad tragic ending!
 

[Dhyana]

I couldn't agree more, Kalisurfer.  If only I could make my son understand this. The scary thing is that someday these people will have to lead the world.

Have some trust. There may be no world to lead by then!

[Kalisurfer]

I couldn't agree more, Kalisurfer.  If only I could make my son understand this. The scary thing is that someday these people will have to lead the world.

Have some trust. There may be no world to lead by then!

OOPPPs, there goes all the libraries... and no place to land ones weary feet and mind!
I'm sure by then there will be a remote TV station on Mars broadcasting 24 hour marathons of JACKASS, hosted by the Bush twins to all the other planets with intellignet life to prove that indeed, we lacked it here on busted spaceship Earth.

[Tapati]

Well, thank Goddess for Harry Potter then. Many kids who wouldn't have gotten into reading got hooked on Harry's story and then investigated other fantasy books. There's a virtual boom on children's fantasy as a result.

Here's how I got my dyslexic daughter hooked on reading (as a teenager). I read out loud to her the best books I could find in the children's fantasy genre. I would try to pick a cliffhanger spot to stop reading at to keep her hooked. (Hey, it works in tv.) If she seemed anxious to find out what happens next I'd tell her she was welcome to keep reading. It took awhile and a few books but finally she took the bait while we were reading the Alanna series by Tamora Pierce. She proceeded to read through the whole series and her reading improved by a few grade levels as a result. She is now a confirmed reader.

Books I read to her: A Wrinkle in Time, A Swiftly Tilting Planet, The Dark is Rising series, and the Alanna series by Tamora Pierce (started anyway).

Reading such books out loud also conveys to the kids/teens that what they see in movies and tv is very limited by the medium as to how complex a story can be told. They can readily see how much a movie leaves out if they've read the book. Each medium has its place and strengths and weaknesses.

Maybe pointing out that when you read a book you get to be your own casting director and all the characters are as you envision them would help. Tell them they are making their own movie in their head!

[Dhyana]

Here's how I got my dyslexic daughter hooked on reading (as a teenager). I read out loud to her the best books I could find in the children's fantasy genre. I would try to pick a cliffhanger spot to stop reading at to keep her hooked. (Hey, it works in tv.) If she seemed anxious to find out what happens next I'd tell her she was welcome to keep reading. It took awhile and a few books but finally she took the bait while we were reading the Alanna series by Tamora Pierce. She proceeded to read through the whole series and her reading improved by a few grade levels as a result. She is now a confirmed reader.

What a fantastic invention, you should patent it, Tapati!

Reading such books out loud also conveys to the kids/teens that what they see in movies and tv is very limited by the medium as to how complex a story can be told. They can readily see how much a movie leaves out if they've read the book.

Can children understand this? How about those slightly older ones who have been raised on movies and games in bookless households? I so much wish to believe they can appreciate the complexity of book worlds. But I do not know. Maybe this taste requires training from the start.

[0talasiga0]

......
I do not read.
...

Its the only way to understand my posts.

[Dhyana]

......
I do not read.
...

Its the only way to understand my posts.

At least you have the virtue of being brief and of constructing effective teasers. I read your texts. (From which it does not follow I always understand them )

[0talasiga0]

I am soooo not reading Christmas cards.
"She who must be obeyed" has placed them on one of our big wooden bookshelves.
Can I count them as books?

[Kalisurfer]

Currently Not Reading:

Minds
Tarot Cards
Warning labels
After Christmas sale flyers
Funny thoughtful posts by Evakurvan that never make it online
The fine print below TV ads
Most advertising
Commentary on spiritual texts
Lyrics from Justin, Britney and P-Ditty songs
Political propaganda from Democrats and especially Republicans
How politicians will increase the number of troops in Iraq
Anything from anybody proclaiming to know the one supreme truth
Proclamations of self-importance
E-mail spam
Spiritual porn
My diagnosis
The prescription
My epitaph

[evakurvan]

HAHA KALISURFER WOW I AM SO TOUCHED THANK YOU