Fiction or non-fiction

[markiver54]

I personally have never been much a reader except when I had to or wanted to learn something. My wife is an avid reader of everything from fiction to non-fiction. The only things I read and truly "absorb" at my age now are my hobbies and interests in something. I can read 3 pages of fiction and, then, not remember much of it at all, opposite of non fiction, which seems to settle in. What inspired this topic, is the forum. What are your own reading habits, if you care tho share.

[BrokenolMarine]

Fiction or Non-Fiction?

I love to read. So I read both. I read fiction novels, short stories, magazines, and non-fiction titles that interested me, often military or hobby related. Back years ago, we had two dozen magazines coming each month. They were an eclectic mix. Those that covered subjects that were of interest to both the wife and I, such as kayak fishing, fly tying, or "Bent Riding." Then there were "her interests, such as Chickens, Crochet, Soap Making, and the like. I had my trade journals, shooting sports, woodworking, and life member NRA mags.

Six bookcases filled with King, Brown, Sandford, WEB Griffin and the like, as well as Military and Historical Non-fiction and reference or educational reading. (Reloading texts, fly tying binders, leather work, etc.) If you wanted something to read here, you had but ask.

These days, most of the subscriptions have been allowed to lapse, although there are a few we have kept. My Life Membership in the NRA comes with one monthly mag, and I have been a subscriber to the American Handgunner since the late 70s. Miss Tina gets a couple each month. I read books on the kindle constantly...

[RanchRoper]

I read western history books. Fiction too. I have books enough to last me awhile. Right now I am working my way through Fran Striker's Lone Ranger series from the 1930's. I have read all of Will James books too. Those are favorites.

[markiver54]

Fiction or Non-Fiction?

I love to read. So I read both. I read fiction novels, short stories, magazines, and non-fiction titles that interested me, often military or hobby related. Back years ago, we had two dozen magazines coming each month. They were an eclectic mix. Those that covered subjects that were of interest to both the wife and I, such as kayak fishing, fly tying, or "Bent Riding." Then there were "her interests, such as Chickens, Crochet, Soap Making, and the like. I had my trade journals, shooting sports, woodworking, and life member NRA mags.

Six bookcases filled with King, Brown, Sandford, WEB Smith and the like, as well as Military and Historical Non-fiction and reference or educational reading. (Reloading texts, fly tying binders, leather work, etc.) If you wanted something to read here, you had but ask.

These days, most of the subscriptions have been allowed to lapse, although there are a few we have kept. My Life Membership in the NRA comes with one monthly mag, and I have been a subscriber to the American Handgunner since the late 70s. Miss Tina gets a couple each month. I read books on the kindle constantly...

I guess It would be a joy to just lay back and enjoy a happy "novel" and remember the whole story.

[markiver54]

I read western history books. Fiction too. I have books enough to last me awhile. Right now I am working my way through Fran Striker's Lone Ranger series from the 1930's. I have read all of Will James books too. Those are favorites.

Thanks RR...why am I not surprised by your reading genre.

[PT7]

Reading, reading, and more reading. Started when I was in grade school. Don't know where that came from as neither of my parents read much, and I was the oldest kid. Did like the small one or two shelves of library books in each of the elementary school classrooms. Probably read most all the books Wilson Elementary had! Anyway, I started then and have never quit. My earliest recall of how much I loved to read was the pretty good chewing out my Mom gave me whenever she caught me reading after bedtime, with my flashlight, under the covers!

I like both fiction and non-fiction. My reading "history" is much like Marine's and his wife's reading experiences; all over the spectrum with many varied interests. Many of the books I've kept are a result of my college years. I have a B.A. and M.A. and both arts degrees are in "Letters." Primary college major study was foreign language with an extremely heavy dose of the literature of the languages. Since I'm older, my large library is not electronic-based, nor do I read using a Kindle or computer. Just plain-ole hardbound and paperback books.

I recently moved. The hardest thing to move was my library books....hundreds of volumes, boxes and boxes yet unpacked downstairs. I'll need to build new bookshelves here in order to get them all out of the boxes!

Each day I'm in different time periods (centuries of the past and future), different countries, seeing many parts of the world, and traveling to and from in every way imaginable. I think I'm reading about six books at the moment. Fun to move around so freely anywhere and everywhere in an instant. Love to read. It astonishes me to think how much I would have missed had I not read about so much!

Even though I know my library is too big and I should just use the public library, I somehow manage to still buy books from time-to-time. Hard to break such an enjoyable pasttime. Great question, OP Mark. Thanks for asking it.

PT7

[BrokenolMarine]

I guess It would be a joy to just lay back and enjoy a happy "novel" and remember the whole story.

I read a lot of Janet Evanovich's "Numbered" Series. "One for the Money" "Two for the Dough" etc...

The books are about a female bounty hunter, who basically sux at her job. She has a sidekick she gains in the first novel, who is even worse at the job than she is. Stephanie Plum works for her cousin's bail bond service in Jersey, and the parade of Character's thru the twenty five (so far) books keeps you laughing out loud. She is often joined in her escapades by her 80 year old grandmother... and other incompetents and weirdos but somehow always seems to get her man, or woman, in the end. There are a number of running gags throughout the series, reappearing characters, and themes... which I like.

I have read thru the series a half dozen times... a benefit of short term memory loss... you can remember bits and pieces of the books, but each read you pick up things you forgot or missed the first time through. In addition, when I get on the reading kick, I read ALL my series, each with 20 ish, books in each series.

The Corps Series By Griffin
The Army Series By Griffin
The Three Sandford series
The various King strings...
Yup, then back around to Evanovich...
reading other cool stuff in between...
keeps me sane. (ish.)


I have a number of these on tape. (Okay, cd... )
For long trips.
Dreamcatcher is a favorite
as well as Bag of Bones.

[Mags]

Mostly fiction, sci-fy, westerns, police, fantasy but also non-fiction war history. Used to buy books, but ran out of room to keep them so almost exclusively read books from the public county library co-op. I also subscribe to National Geographic. I do not read paranormal thrillers nor zombie, vampire stuff.

[RanchRoper]

I read western history books. Fiction too. I have books enough to last me awhile. Right now I am working my way through Fran Striker's Lone Ranger series from the 1930's. I have read all of Will James books too. Those are favorites.

Thanks RR...why am I not surprised by your reading genre.

Not just westerns...I read Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine when I was 10 too...

[cooperhawk]

I average three books a week. Right now am reading British Navy during the Napoleonic wars. Someone mentioned John Sandford, I have read all of his. Outstanding! Also WEB Griffin. Fictional history I love. My Nook reader has over three hundred books on it.

[markiver54]

Mostly fiction, sci-fy, westerns, police, fantasy but also non-fiction war history. Used to buy books, but ran out of room to keep them so almost exclusively read books from the public county library co-op. I also subscribe to National Geographic. I do not read paranormal thrillers nor zombie, vampire stuff.

Paranormal or Zombie... I'm with ya there Mags!

[markiver54]

Reading, reading, and more reading. Started when I was in grade school. Don't know where that came from as neither of my parents read much, and I was the oldest kid. Did like the small one or two shelves of library books in each of the elementary school classrooms. Probably read most all the books Wilson Elementary had! Anyway, I started then and have never quit. My earliest recall of how much I loved to read was the pretty good chewing out my Mom gave me whenever she caught me reading after bedtime, with my flashlight, under the covers!

I like both fiction and non-fiction. My reading "history" is much like Marine's and his wife's reading experiences; all over the spectrum with many varied interests. Many of the books I've kept are a result of my college years. I have a B.A. and M.A. and both arts degrees are in "Letters." Primary college major study was foreign language with an extremely heavy dose of the literature of the languages. Since I'm older, my large library is not electronic-based, nor do I read using a Kindle or computer. Just plain-ole hardbound and paperback books.

I recently moved. The hardest thing to move was my library books....hundreds of volumes, boxes and boxes yet unpacked downstairs. I'll need to build new bookshelves here in order to get them all out of the boxes!


Each day I'm in different time periods (centuries of the past and future), different countries, seeing many parts of the world, and traveling to and from in every way imaginable. I think I'm reading about six books at the moment. Fun to move around so freely anywhere and everywhere in an instant. Love to read. It astonishes me to think how much I would have missed had I not read about so much!

Even though I know my library is too big and I should just use the public library, I somehow manage to still buy books from time-to-time. Hard to break such an enjoyable pasttime. Great question, OP Mark. Thanks for asking it.

PT7

I am impressed by your open mind into all kinds of literature. You are no doubt a better man for it!
Hope your body is still in acceptable condition after moving all those books though...

[markiver54]

I read western history books. Fiction too. I have books enough to last me awhile. Right now I am working my way through Fran Striker's Lone Ranger series from the 1930's. I have read all of Will James books too. Those are favorites.

Thanks RR...why am I not surprised by your reading genre.

Not just westerns...I read Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine when I was 10 too...

[Mags]

.
I didn't. As a kid I was terrified of monsters, night terrors included. I have no recollection of when I out grew that. But thankfully I did. Oh ya I was also terrified at night by paintings and portraits of people's faces. Their eyes glowed in the dark and followed my moments.

...I read Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine when I was 10 too...

[ChefDuane]

Avid reader. Book of the Month Club. Mostly non-fiction, historical biographies, and history in general. Got a ton of cookbooks, too.

[Les]

I like reading just about anything - fiction, non-fiction and everything else in-between. The biggest problem that I have, though, is that I cannot get rid of any books once I've read them - even the ones I didn't enjoy too much - so I'm rapidly running out of space to fit book shelves. I could buy a Kindle, but it just wouldn't be the same as holding a proper book .... and it definitely wouldn't have that "new book" smell.

[CT_Shooter]

I'm a Kindle reader. When I got my first one back 2010, I loaded it up with every classic novel ever written, some I'd read before, most I hadn't; and I read constantly; H.G. Wells, Bram Stoker, Jane Austen, Jules Verne, Mark Twain, Robert Lewis Stevenson, Mary Shelley, Jack London, James Fenimore Cooper, Arthur Conan Doyle, Charles Dickens, etc. I have several hundred books in the Kindle library now.

I totally enjoyed reading the several Ralph Compton westerns and the Jean Auel Clan of the Cave Bear series. But, most of all, I really like to read Stephen King. The last one of his that I read was Dr. Sleep, the sequel to The Shining. Before that, it was The Dome and the Mr. Mercedes trilogy. I've read The Stand three times so far; the last time was the newly released unedited version. I thought 11/22/63 was fabulous. I will likely never get to read everything he's written, but I'm working on it.

My wife loved historical novels and non-fiction. She was a voracious reader, tearing through them, sometimes finishing a novel in a single day. During her last year, she enjoyed reading mystery novels, especially Anne Perry's. We always had several of them on order at the library... I'd return six and bring six more home. She never had a late fee.

What I like about the Kindle is that I can read any of the e-books we own, anywhere. I have the app on my phone, so I rarely use the device itself anymore, and I always have hundreds of books with me, which is pretty cool.

[markiver54]

Avid reader. Book of the Month Club. Mostly non-fiction, historical biographies, and history in general. Got a ton of cookbooks, too.

Kinda figured the cook books chef. My wife loves to cook and has a book case of them. Food network is always on the TV also.

[markiver54]

.
I didn't. As a kid I was terrified of monsters, night terrors included. I have no recollection of when I out grew that. But thankfully I did. Oh ya I was also terrified at night by paintings and portraits of people's faces. Their eyes glowed in the dark and followed my moments.

...I read Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine when I was 10 too...

Careful Mags, Big Foot might be out there!....

[markiver54]

I'm a Kindle reader. When I got my first one back 2010, I loaded it up with every classic novel ever written, some I'd read before, most I hadn't; and I read constantly; H.G. Wells, Bram Stoker, Jane Austen, Jules Verne, Mark Twain, Robert Lewis Stevenson, Mary Shelley, Jack London, James Fenimore Cooper, Arthur Conan Doyle, Charles Dickens, etc. I have several hundred books in the Kindle library now.

I totally enjoyed reading the several Ralph Compton westerns and the Jean Auel Clan of the Cave Bear series. But, most of all, I really like to read Stephen King. The last one of his that I read was Dr. Sleep, the sequel to The Shining. Before that, it was The Dome and the Mr. Mercedes trilogy. I've read The Stand three times so far; the last time was the newly released unedited version. I thought 11/22/63 was fabulous. I will likely never get to read everything he's written, but I'm working on it.

My wife loved historical novels and non-fiction. She was a voracious reader, tearing through them, sometimes finishing a novel in a single day. During her last year, she enjoyed reading mystery novels, especially Anne Perry's. We always had several of them on order at the library... I'd return six and bring six more home. She never had a late fee.

What I like about the Kindle is that I can read any of the e-books we own, anywhere. I have the app on my phone, so I rarely use the device itself anymore, and I always have hundreds of books with me, which is pretty cool.

I have to admire the diversity of your reading CT.