Booking Through Thursday: Goldilocks

Are you a Goldilocks kind of reader? Do you need the light just right, the background noise just so loud but not too loud, the chair just right, the distractions at a minimum?

Or can you open a book at any time and dip right in, whether it’s for twenty seconds, while waiting for the kettle to boil, or indefinitely, like while waiting interminably at the hospital–as long as the book is open in front of your nose, you’re happy to read?

I find that I can read just about anywhere, anytime, and under most conditions, although sometimes the book I am reading insists on a more controlled environment. Some books require careful concentration and focus, demanding minimal distractions and longer stretches of time for reading if I expect to fully appreciate the subject matter.

In most instances, however, I have no difficulty snatching a moment here and there with whatever book I am reading. Perhaps I only have a few minutes waiting at the drive-thru or it's a commercial break during a favorite TV show (this is becoming less and less of a habit though since the advent of DVR's and DVD's). It's not unusual for me to break out my book and read before the start of a movie at the theater, while my husband pumps the car full of gas, or to settle on a bench in the mall while I wait for Anjin while he browses in his favorite Anime store. Just yesterday, I read while waiting for my husband's car to be fixed at the repair shop.

Admittingly, I most enjoy my reading time when I can devote a decent chunk of time to a book, especially for the first few chapters--I like having the time to settle into a book and fully take in the mood. Still, it's not a requirement for my enjoyment of a book nor is it always practical. I take what I can get when I can get it.

While I have come to appreciate and sometimes prefer the quiet when I read, I do not mind music in the background, having the television on, or sitting in a crowded room with chatter all around me on the condition that the volume is not overwhelming to the point of distraction. I can only tune out so much regardless of how gripping the book may be. It is not unusual when I am engrossed in a book for a person to have to make a bigger than normal effort to gain my attention. And yet if I am in the lunch breakroom at work and a certain someone is talking on her cell phone at top volume, I discover I have trouble concentrating.

The location matters the least in that I can read just about anywhere. I do like to be comfortable, but comfort doesn't require my living room couch or my most favorite reading place, my bed. A spot on the grass works just fine when I'm in the park or perhaps a chair while waiting in the doctor's office. I can read while outdoors, indoors, or halfway inbetween. I read while traveling, either by car, plane or train. I sit in my car sometimes and read during my lunch break. And I've been known to walk from room to room in my house while reading or while standing in line. Who needs to sit after all?

I try and always take a book with me so I can sneak a peek at any available moment. I've even been known to pack my husband's book in my purse so he has something to read should the occasion arise.

While I am no Goldilocks, I think I fall somewhere between the two extremes.

Don’t forget to leave a link to your actual response (so people don’t have to go searching for it) in the comments—or if you prefer, leave your answers in the comments themselves!