My Reading Habits and how they have changed over the years - Discuss & Wonder #3

Hello and welcome to another discussion post! Today, I decided to talk to you about

I've been thinking about this particular topic a lot lately. Especially after realizing that, over the past couple of years, not only did my reading habits change drastically, but also that, the way I deal with reading in general was affected as well. If you want to find out what exactly I mean by that, keep on reading!

And make sure to leave your comments below, telling me if and how your reading habits have changed throughout the years.

Let's start with a walk down memory lane. I became an avid reader a long time ago. At first, I was into anything that I could get my hands on and because I wasn't such a fluent English speaker, my options were very limited. Back then, they only translated very few books in Greek so, I just picked up whatever I could find.

*Reading whatever I came across without being truly interested*

Because of the fact that, I didn't have anything to compare those books with, I ended up loving all of them. They were just, a lot of fun to read, I guess. Plus, they helped me escape and that's what really mattered. You could say that, I wasn't the most social person and I always preferred the company of a book over the company of anyone else. Still do, if you ask me but, back then it was very different. 

Needless to say that, if I went back and read all those books again,  I would probably hate half of them. Maybe even more. I realize now that, as a reader, I can dislike books that other people loved and I can love books that other people hated. I have always respected other peoples' opinions, that might or might not clash with mine so, I've learned to expect the same in return. Not just because I always try to be positive but also because people who express their opinions in a very disrespectful, rude and cruel way - concerning books or anything else,really - aren't really worth my time. I always strive for civilized and polite conversations.

*Reading whatever other people read, and saying - or rather thinking - that I loved it just because they did.*

I wanted to bring that up because, in the past, I felt pressured to read and love what everyone else was reading or loving at the time. Was it because I wanted to fit in? Probably. Was it because I didn't know how to choose what I personally wanted to read? That could be it as well. The point is that I've learned a lot of important lessons since then. I stopped purchasing books because people raved about them, if I - as Elena, as a reader, as a person, as myself - had no interest in them. If a book doesn't intrigue me, I'm not going to buy it nor read it.

*It's okay to DNF a book if you aren't enjoying it and eventually, find a new home for it.*

Another thing I want to discuss is, the fact that I used to struggle through books I wasn't necessarily enjoying, just to reach the ending. But I have come to realize through the years and personal experience that, what matters isn't the ending. It's the journey itself. It's okay to put a book down if you aren't enjoying it and it's okay to share that experience with people. And I'm definitely in favor of also sharing why a book didn't work out for me, or why I didn't enjoy it. That matters a lot, especially when you choose to share those thoughts with other people. Always be honest, even if sometimes, honesty can be misinterpreted as something else.

*Always be honest! With your self and with other people. Because those who are truly worth it, will appreciate your honesty.*

Moving on to review books. When I started blogging, I used to request whatever book I came across. That's not very accurate actually, it makes me sound really bad but, the truth is that I was overly excited. I didn't know how to manage my reading time and whether a book was worth requesting or not. Thankfully, I've gotten a lot better at that. I always ask myself whether I'm truly interested in a book before I request it. If I have my doubts about it, or if I don't think that I'll be able to finish in time, I stay away.

Last by not least, in the past I only read fantasy books. I stayed away from contemporary books or anything that had to do with a realistic setting that didn't involve any sense of the supernatural, to put it that way.

*I was so sure that I would never be interested in reading anything that had to do with reality since, I already lived in it*

That doesn't make any sense but I tried explaining it as best as I could. Nowadays, I read whatever interests and intrigues me, might it be historical fiction, contemporary, fantasy. It doesn't really matter. I will not make myself finish books anymore just to say that I finished them. If I am not able to get through a book, for whatever reason, I will stop. I might pick it up again, sometime in the future, especially if I put it down just because I wasn't in the mood for it. That's how I choose what book I want to read next. Based on my mood and what I feel like reading. Which is why I usually never stick to TBRs and such.

What is more, I stick to one physical book and one e-book at a time. I usually transfer e-books - usually review books because I genuinely prefer physical books - on my phone and read on the way from one place to another. When I'm at home, I just stick to my trusted paperbacks. It works for me perfectly! I used to read so many books at the same time and it came to a point where, I stopped reading all together. Everything got so overwhelming because I was trying to do so many things at the same time.

*Try to focus on one thing at a time. Multitasking can be productive at the beginning but, you'll find yourself overwhelmed by it and frankly, quite exhausted.*

To end this post, I just want to encourage you, fellow readers, to read whatever your heart tells you to. It doesn't have to be educational - I've had people tell me that the crap I read won't get me anywhere in life - you just have to sincerely enjoy it. And yes, I've learnt more from reading than I possibly ever could from anything else. And if someone tries to put you down for doing something you love, don't hesitate to give them a piece of your mind. What have kick-ass, brave, true to themselves heroines - and heroes - taught as after all? To stand our ground and never let anyone give us any crap about the things we believe in!

That was quite a long post but this is the purpose of these discussions. Me putting my thoughts here and sharing them with you. And you getting a glimpse into the labyrinth that is my mind!

Until next time,