So, I couldn’t help myself when I saw these.  I just had to share them!  Not sure how many of you are Ryan Gosling fans, but I am.  I like to imagine he is actually saying this to me…

The act of reading is a skill that everyone learns how to do in grade school.  We learn our ABCs in Kindergarden and our parents read us books, so that one day we can read on our own.

But I want to talk about a different set of skills that book readers have.

Reading While Walking:

It takes skill to read a book while walking.  When I’m reading while walking there will always be a chance I run into the following:

• A pole
• A parked car
• A person
• A tree
• Any static object that may be in my walking path

To keep from running into any of the things I listed above, book readers have to develop a sense of situational awareness.  For me, I read while making my way to and from the train.  I’m primarily walking through a parking lot (which doesn’t have a lot of cars driving around in it at one time) and I’ve pretty much memorized the path I take, so I know where those static objects will be.  The only thing I need to worry about is looking up every once in a while to make sure I don’t plow through someone.  I’m essentially still aware of what is around me even though I’m reading.  I say that’s a skill.

Working Out & Reading:

I can say that I have yet to master this skill, but I see a lot of people doing it at the gym.  To read a book while you’re working up a sweat and trying to focus on toning those abs, takes real skill.  I tried it a few times, but I can’t seem to focus on the reading part.  I guess just doing a slow walk on the treadmill would work for me, but I have to do much more than a walk (considering the things I eat sometimes).  I really do envy the people that can do this because they probably get more reading done than I do.

Reading While Taking Care of Children:

Thanks to one of my followers I believe that reading while taking care of children is an ongoing skill.  I don’t have the honor of developing this skill yet because I have no children of my own, but this is a skill nonetheless.  I’m not sure if someone can read while taking care of a child at the same time, but I believe that finding the time to read is a skill.  With everything it takes to raise a child, taking even that 30 minutes to read is a skill.  This is also an opportunity to teach children to read…which is also a skill.

Cooking While Reading:

Yes, cooking while reading is a skill.  You have to keep from burning your food in the process of reading your book.  There’s also the chance of food splattering onto the book or all over you.  Essentially, this is the skill of multi-tasking.   This is like talking on the phone while cooking, but it has more of a difficulty level to it.

Reading in the Tub:

I think the main skill we develop while reading in the tub is not dropping our book in the water.  I have done this a few times, but practice makes perfect right?  It’s also about keeping your hands dry so that you can turn the pages.  If a book reader can do those things, reading in the tub is really relaxing.  I usually like to bring along a glass of wine and light some candles too.

What do you think of these skills?  Do you agree or disagree?  Are there any other skills you think book readers have?

Although I like to read pretty much anywhere, I do have a few places that make reading more enjoyable and relaxing.

Here are my top three:

1. Sitting by a Fire

Ok, I don’t have a fireplace, but if I’m somewhere that has one the first thing I want to do is read.  It’s the perfect place to bundle up with some hot chocolate and get lost in a book.

2. At the Park…When the Weather is Nice

There’s nothing like sitting on a bench or laying a blanket out on some grass with a book in hand, but only when the weather’s nice.  You won’t see me if it’s too windy, if it’s rainy, cold, or snowing (not that it snows in California).

3. Curled Up in Bed or On the Couch

The place I do most of my reading is in my bed or on my couch.  I like to snuggle up with a glass of wine and a blanket while reading a great book.

Tell me where you like to read in the comments.

My fellow book readers can hopefully relate to some  “book reader problems” I have on occasion.  When I vent to my boyfriend he just nods and listens (he’s a great listener), but doesn’t understand because he doesn’t read books.

So, I wanted to share my top five book reader problems.

1.  Not Enough Room In My Purse

I like to carry around one or sometimes several different books to read.  This causes a problem when they all don’t fit in my purse.

2. Not Enough Room On My Book Shelf

I have no more book shelf space and haven’t been able to buy anymore books.  My dream is to one day have a library like Belle in Beauty & The Beast.  That was an entire room and will definitely solve the problem (maybe).

3. Hard Cover v.s. Soft Cover

I’m the type that loves getting books as gifts.  Now, I’m a hard core soft cover book lover (say that ten times fast).  Don’t get me wrong, I’m very grateful when I receive a hard cover book, but soft covers are much easier to carry around.

4. Having to Stop Reading When Iv’e Reached the Best Part of the Book

The worst thing about getting to the best part of a book, and I mean the part that has me crying or biting my lip in suspense, is when the train is at my stop.  That means I have to put my book away and get off.

5. Diminished Listening Skills

I don’t know about you, but when I’m so caught up in a book, people around me tend to be…non-existent.  Essentially, when I’m reading a really good book, I don’t listen to others very well.  I’m in my own little world.

Let me know what your book reader problems are.  

I would love to read some of your stories.