Your spouse/significant other's reading habits

[pwilson]

From what I've gathered during my time on the forum, we're all a bunch of obsessed bibliophiles who spend every possible waking moment with our noses stuffed in a book. How does this affect those you live with?

I'm fortunate enough to be married to a fellow bookworm and in fact, we tend to share a common TBR pile. We both tend towards a mixture of modern literature and the classics. Right now she's reading Candide and I'm reading Mervyn Peake but I could easily see us swapping books as soon as we're done.

Is your better half a reader? If so, what are they reading right now and how does it compare to your current selection? For those of you who live with someone who doesn't like to read, how does that work? Does it add stress or is it just like any other hobby?

 

[Ronny]

My husband reads just as much as I do and we sometimes share books but usually we read our own. It's not so much that we don't read the same genres but we often live in seperate places and just don't get a chance to swap books, yet we don't want to buy a book the other already has. When we are home together we each snuggle on our end of the couch with our book, a snack, a drink and read, very cozy but I 've been told I make funny faces while I read

 

[chop_chop]

My boyfriend also loves to read, although he doesn't seems to read as much as me. He also likes to watch a little more TV and he quite often has a little bit of work to do after he gets home. So I usually read many more books than him, but it is one of our shared interests. We also have been known to curl up on the sofa with our books and a nice cuppa!

 

[Kookamoor]

For those of you who live with someone who doesn't like to read, how does that work? Does it add stress or is it just like any other hobby?

My partner is not a reader, though I wish he was. Sometimes it's frustrating - he tells me to get my head out of a book and instead play video games - WTF?! I try and do a bit of both to keep him happy. Most of my reading I get done when he's either otherwise occupied with his video games, work or football, or when I go to the coffee shop.

I guess reading for me is more of a hobby now because I have so little time to do it. For example it's easier for me to jump on here and read about books than it is for me to actually read them because he sees that as me having free time to spend with him.

It's frustrating at times, but I still love the guy to death. Hopefully when my workload decreases I'll have more free time to spend with him, read TBF AND read books.

 

[Prairie_Girl]

Wifey poo is definately a reader, though her tastes tend to lead more towards psychology/spirituality and buddhist stuff.

 

[Erica]

My Husband was not a reader, and to sit and read without him starting to chat was impossible...
So I bought him a couple of really good books, and Gift wrapped them then another one, and another.
Took about 6months, now his well hooked and loves his books nearly as much as I do
Sorted!

 

[Isabell]

Nope, Hubby is not a reader. However, my kids are!

Hooray for family reading time

 

[SFG75]

Is your better half a reader? If so, what are they reading right now and how does it compare to your current selection? For those of you who live with someone who doesn't like to read, how does that work? Does it add stress or is it just like any other hobby?

Yes, she is a reader. Her work is very demanding and she orders books to help her clients out a lot. With that being said, I do drive her nuts because I do tend to go through a lot of books every month. I'm on a budget when it comes to Amazon and used book stores. Every room in the house has books-I had to take at least 200 of them(no joke) to my work in order to save her sanity(the bathroom was getting full)

 

[abecedarian]

My hubby is an avid reader too. He doesn't have as much time to read as I do, and I think it bothers him sometimes. He has built beautiful oak shelves in two rooms downstairs-we have view-out windows with wide ledges, and he built the shelves to fit below the windows. In the schoolroom, there are three half-walls full of shelves, and in the family room, there's a long row of shelves under the window, from wall to wall. And he's making a nice bookcase for our oldest son..and planning to make more!
As for his reading preferences, he reads theology, historical novels and nonfiction, how-to books on all sorts of topics from housebuilding to money management. He just finished The Rule of Four the other day and enjoyed it very much( I reccomended it!)and now is reading Sacred Stone by Clive Cussler. He told me the other day he was getting burned out on Dean Koontz, but he was happy to hear I have a copy of The Stand..
I have to be ready for the next time he asks me for something good to read!

 

[Kookamoor]

My Husband was not a reader, and to sit and read without him starting to chat was impossible... So I bought him a couple of really good books, and Gift wrapped them then another one, and another. Took about 6months, now his well hooked and loves his books nearly as much as I do Sorted!

Maybe I should give that a go...

 

[abecedarian]

Maybe I should give that a go...

Or maybe if you offered to read to him? You nebber know, it might work

 

[pwilson]

Or maybe if you offered to read to him? You nebber know, it might work

That's a really good idea! We always read Harry Potter aloud and it's a great way to spend time together and read.

 

[Twilite]

My girlfriend is an avid reader much like I am. Although we don't really share taste in books, she's very open to suggestion and has borrowed most of the books I've read and liked recently and read those too. Gets through them all quicker than I did and seemed to enjoy them, but doesn't talk much about them other than bugging me for the end when it all gets a little too tense for her! She's a reading machine, just digests one after the other without seeming to get too attached to any one book.

 

[abecedarian]

We read to eachother sometimes, when we come across something interesting in our books. And it's funny, but our kids do the same thing. Or they'll give me an impromptu, unasked for, oral book report at the oddest times..specially if I'm trying to read, type, or talk on the phone!

 

[SFG75]

We read to eachother sometimes, when we come across something interesting in our books. And it's funny, but our kids do the same thing. Or they'll give me an impromptu, unasked for, oral book report at the oddest times..specially if I'm trying to read, type, or talk on the phone!

We do this a lot as well. Our older boy will also plop down in our laps and want us to see the pictures in the book. Of course, when you're on the phone, cooking, or doing rocket science.

 

[Kookamoor]

Or maybe if you offered to read to him? You nebber know, it might work

I kind of tried this already. He's just more a fan of non-fiction, though he doesn't read it often outside of his studies. I will read him passages of articles I read which either fascinate me or really tick me off. But I can't interest him in fiction, unfortunately... I might surreptitiosly place some biographies or philosophical books (which are more his bag) around the apartment in the hope he'll pick one up and get interested.

I bought him Mick Foley's autobiography a while ago, and he's sort of slowly making his way through it. I finished it a few days after I got it, but he would just rather do other things than read. Maybe when he's finished his thesis he'll feel more like reading in his leasure time.

 

[Geenh]

He who drives too fast and may kill us one day reads when he avails himself of the facilities. Needless to say, he reads about 4 books a year. If he travels a lot he'll read more because of the time on planes and waiting in airports.

 

[abecedarian]

Maybe when he's finished his thesis he'll feel more like reading in his leasure time.[/QUOTE]

Ah, that may be the key. If he's having to spend so much time and energy working on his thesis, no wonder he's not interested in reading for fun. He's forgotten the concept. I've heard of others having the same experience. It was months after they finished their program before they could face a book just for fun. Sounds like you're doing all that can be done for the season he's in.

 

[Kookamoor]

He who drives too fast and may kill us one day reads when he avails himself of the facilities. Needless to say, he reads about 4 books a year.

As does he who nags me to play video games! If I remove the bathroom reader and replace it with a biography I might just be on to something.

 

[Geenh]

Try a book about video games maybe. Is there one? I believe there's a book out there for everyone.